


Broken Wings

by Rebochan



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Dark Magic, F/M, M/M, Magic, One-Sided Attraction, Saving the World
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2016-05-15
Packaged: 2018-05-03 16:43:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 161,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5298713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rebochan/pseuds/Rebochan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p></p><div class="center">
  <p> <img/><br/></p>
</div>Ever since the day a blue-haired boy with wings saved Hatsune Miku’s life, she’s never stopped believing in the existence of more people like him – no matter how much people told her they didn’t exist.<p>Now in college with her dearest friends and “Vocaloids” bandmates, Megurine Luka and Kagamine Rin and Len, she’s never given up hope on finding out what happened to the boy. When a blue-haired man turns up with strange gashes along his back, Miku immediately suspects the mysterious “Kaito” is connected to her mystery boy. Learning he has nowhere to go and nobody he can trust, Miku opens her home to the odd man, hoping that somehow he’ll lead her to answers. But right now, all Kaito is leading Miku and her friends to is trouble as strange beings with wings are attacking Tsubasa City with dark magic known as "Noise". A strange winged swordsman named Gakupo quickly joins their number, himself corrupted by the power of Noise, as Miku, Kaito, and her friends find themselves drawn into remnants of an ancient war that threaten to destroy the world.</p><p>NOTE: This story was finished in August 2015, I'm slowly uploading it here at AO3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All her life, college student Hatsune Miku has believed in the existence of people with wings. Though she never gave up hope of finding the boy that saved her life, she finds herself placed in the position of saving a life herself, that of the mysterious Kaito. Can she coax him to trust her? And why does he keep calling everyone "humans?"

# 

_Falling.  Always, falling, through the deep and endless sky.  Her twin turquoise pigtails trailed behind her as she watched the earth rushing towards her._

_A long time ago, she felt the normal fear of impending death.  Of her small child’s body being smashed against the unforgiving earth and being helpless to stop it. But now, after so many times just like this, where she knew how her journey through the sky would end, she felt not fear but… anticipation._

_For as she plummeted through the air, she saw the familiar form of a blue-haired boy dive through the air, getting ahead of her fall, his long white and purple robes trailing behind him.  He reached out and grabbed her with his arms, bringing her descent to a stop.  As he drew her close to his body, she began to not fall… but fly._

_The ocean spread below her, speeding past as he carried her, gently singing a song to her in a language she could not understand.  For these precious few moments, she saw the world as he did, where no distance or height stood beyond the reach of his lovely white wings._

_All too soon, it came to an end.  They’d alight atop that same hill.  The boy’s melody would cease as he set her down, her feet once more rooted to solid earth.  She would get one quick look at his face – he looked maybe a few years older than her.  He’d smile at her, just once. Then his smile would fade. He would lean in next to her ear and whisper the same words every time._

_Then he’d turn his back to her, and she’d watch him spread his magnificent white wings and fly away._

_She reached forward, desperately trying to grab some memento of their encounter and her eyes lay on a tall white feather drifting through the air …_

“OW!”

Small tears came to Hatsune Miku’s eyes as she pushed herself off the floor, aching all over from her tumble out of the loft bed.  “I never hit the ground in the dream!” she whined.

She grabbed a leg on her bed and used it to pull herself back up to her feet.  She checked her alarm clock.  “Aww… it’s only 7?!  My next class isn’t until 11…” she grumbled, “I could have slept in even longer!”

Rubbing her sore backside, she decided not to waste the unintentional early start.  “I could head down to the park and get some song lyrics done before I gotta go up to the university…” she said to herself.

_“The dazzling strobe lights and the pounding LED’s take my hand and run off, I stumbled and my eyes opened…”_

Miku began to softly sing along to the recording of her own voice as she rode the elevator down the six floors of her apartment building.  As she looked at the clouds, she tugged her black pullover over her white blouse, smoothing out her pink skirt.  She admired her reflection in the metal doors, giving the feather-shaped barrette in her hair a tap.

_“Move past the boring, repetitive days, today I’ll dream again!  Colorful shining sounds!”_

The tealette ignored the odd stares of others around her as she kept up her practice, her ear buds blocking out the sounds of the world around her.  She had to have this song practiced and ready for Vocaloids rehearsal over the weekend.  Rin was going to chew her out if she came unprepared again.

‘Rin’s lucky… Len’s her partner, they just remind each other to practice…’

She slapped her cheek as the bell to the elevator rang and the doors opened wide.  ‘No no no, positive!’

Miku couldn’t complain too much about the Kagamines of course – they _had_ given her access to their in-house recording studio to make this song in the first place.

“Oh my, Miku!  What are you doing out so early?”

Miku popped off her earbuds for a moment as she caught sight of the pink-haired fourth member of the group – she only lived a block away. “Luka!  Sempai!” she said, trying to force a smile in spite of the dreary sky, “I just fell out of bed… JUMPED out of bed this morning, full of energy!”

Luka was in full-on student mode this morning – Miku remembered she had a 9’o clock class, so not so unusual.  Today she wore a light pink turtleneck over a long, flowing white skirt.  Miku envied her flawless appearance – she’d thrown her own clothes on at the spur of the moment.

‘NO NO NO NO!  PO-SI-TIVE!’

Luka cocked her head to one side.  “Um… Miku, are you okay?  Is there a reason you just slapped your cheek?”

Miku’s heard whirled quickly from side to side, sending her pigtails flying. “I uh… I just remembered I was heading down to Tsubasa Park!  Getting an early start on my new song!”

Miku pulled up her notebook and showed Luka the page filled with notes and scribbles.  Luka glanced through them thoughtfully.  “Oh, these are such cute lyrics,” she said, “And these are some of your outfit ideas?”

She tapped a perfectly manicured blue fingernail over a scrawled doodle of a ruffled shirt with grey pencil smudges on it.  “Yea, I’m thinking it should be covered with little splotches of color everywhere!” Miku said, excitedly.

“I’m thinking it’ll be a song about how people can communicate with just the right words… all over the world… “

Luka looked at the shirt with a smile. “It’s adorable… oh! You should wear a tie with it too! Like this!”

Luka sketched a little black tie around the collar. “Oh wow… that looks good…” Miku admitted, “But seriously, we can go over this on Saturday!”

Luka laughed politely.  “Of course,” she said, “I’ll have your pansy concept done by then too!”

The two friends laughed and parted.  ‘Luka… she’s so talented,’ Miku thought to herself, ‘Ah… sempai… if I could only be as smart and cool as you…’

 

Miku sat perched in the grass overlooking the ocean.  For once, she had her little section of Tsubasa Park to herself… likely because it looked like would rain any minute.  But at least that meant she had peace and quiet to think about what she needed to write next.  She hummed the melody to herself quietly, hoping it might inspire her.  “Can’t… get … this second verse off right…” she muttered, getting cross.

She grimaced as the sound of a scooter rolling through the park broke her concentration.  She tried to blot it out by singing her last verse out loud.  “ _Not to forget the intangible feelings, I deleted the routine layout…_ ”

Her teal eyes settled on the ocean’s calm waves.  For a moment, she closed her eyes entirely, trying to relive that moment over again.  Of soaring over those same waves from hundreds of meters in the air.  ‘If only I had wings like him…’ she thought to herself, ‘How wonderful it must be to fly away without a care in the world…’

As Miku’s eyes opened she saw large white feathers drifting past her face.  She stared at them as the wind carried them further down the hill.  She grasped another feather as it blew past her.  ‘It looks so much like his…’ she thought to herself with a smile.

A smile that faded when she noticed blood at the tip.  Miku jumped to her feet as the last of the feathers blew away – several more of them far more obviously coated in blood.  ‘Did a bird hit a bike?! No… these are bigger feathers than any bird except…’

Miku grabbed her notebook and spied the source of the feathers as they blew out from deep in the trees at the edge of the park. ‘I have to find out…!’ she thought to herself as she tore off in the direction of the gusts of feathers.  So many thoughts raced through her head…

As she passed deeper into the woods, Miku noticed a few more trails of blood in the grass.  Though she began to have second thoughts about where she was going, she had a deep hunch that somewhere someone was hurt.  She bit her lip and forged ahead, actually following the blood stains.

She clutched a hand to her mouth – she’d only smelled this much blood once in her life, and she’d never wished to again.  But that was not to be as she finally stumbled upon a man with deep blue hair and strange white and violet robes, lying down on his stomach in a giant red puddle.  “Sir!  Sir!” she said, “Are you okay?  Are you alive!?  Please, please be alive!”

She knelt down next to him in one of the few non-bloody spots, trying to see how badly he’d been wounded.  His head rested on its side, revealing no injuries there. His face appeared still, like a doll’s. The most obvious wounds were two long, strange gashes around his shoulder blades, but from how much he was bleeding, she suspected he was far more hurt than he appeared.  Like he’d been shot at. By now, Miku was beginning to sob, believing this poor man was already dead…

…until he began to stir.  His eyelids barely opened, and she saw two beautiful but weak blue eyes try to focus on her. 

 

He’d already surrendered himself to the icy grip of death. He had nothing to return to – no home, no station.  They’d reject him, throw him back into the same world that already destroyed him.

The blond woman had called him scrap.  Like he was less than a person.  The lumbering man had been _singing_ as he’d been mutilated, weakly protesting that he was still alive.  Either they hadn’t heard him… or they hadn’t cared.

Now he was aware of someone shouting at him.  ‘Gakupo?’ He thought. No, this was a woman. ‘Meiko?’ No, she sounded a little younger.  His mind barely focused on her words, he wanted to ignore it.  He was broken.  _Val’Sharess_.  But as she kept trying to reach out to him, something about her voice made him try to listen to her…

 

“Sir, you’re alive!” Miku shouted, “Please!  Who did this to you?!”

He began to speak quietly, but his words sounded so bizarre… almost as though he was speaking another language.  It wasn’t English or Japanese… perhaps he didn’t understand her?  But as she took another look at his injuries, she realized medical attention was more important than answers. 

She immediately pulled out her phone, but the reception appeared dead.  ‘I’m too far away from the tower!’ she thought, ‘But I can’t abandon him!’ Miku had no other choice – in spite of his larger size, she’d have to try and carry him.  As she began to lift him, he gave her no resistance – either he _had_ understood, or he was too weak to stop her.

 

As the girl gripped him, he tried to focus on her.  Did she intend to take him back?!  He’d already tried to talk to her… had he been so unfocused that he’d started speaking in the old tongues? He tried to say something, anything.  He didn’t want her to waste her time on “scrap.”  ‘Please let me die…’ he tried to say. But his words continued to slur together, making no sense. 

Something about the girl’s next words to him made him change his mind…

 

“Please, trust me…” she whispered as she propped his arms around her shoulders and grabbed his legs, trying to keep him steady despite him being almost a foot taller than her, “I promise… no matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

 

Whoever she was… to her, he wasn’t scrap.  He wasn’t broken.  To her… his life meant something.

Perhaps she wasn’t a person – an ancestor’s spirit that hadn’t lost faith in him yet. In spite of how dry his throat felt, in spite of how close he felt to crossing the veil… he decided for this girl’s sake if nothing else, he would attempt to preserve his own life.  He felt the strength of a healing ballad building in his heart…

 

As Miku ran out of the woods and back to the park, she became aware of a song in the air, just barely audible.  ‘Is that… him?’ she thought to herself. Suddenly a bright light flashed around her, almost causing her to drop her human load from the surprise.  In the confusion, she heard the familiar zooming of a small engine approaching her…

“Oh my god oh my GOD LOOK OUT AHHHH!”

Miku barely got out of the way as the enormous orange scooter screeched to a halt, just inches from running her over.  Now with the driver right in front of her, she could finally get a good look at her – a girl in a cute orange outfit, red goggles over her eyes and hair glimmering green.  “The heck was that light!?!” she said, before her eyes fell to Miku and the person she carried. “Holy cow, is that a CORPSE!?”

The girl had already hopped off her bike and started examining the man Miku was carrying.  “Please, we need to call an ambulance!” Miku tried to say.

The girl turn to face her and gave Miku a huge, cocky grin.  “Why waste time on a slow ambulance?!” she said, “My scooter’s wayyyyy faster!  Come on, hop on! It's a two seater!”

 

The scooter ride across town was the most nightmare inducing incident Miku would ever have, trying to stay gripped to the wild driver without dumping their patient as she zipped through cars and traffic signals with reckless abandon.  Yet Miku never once heard the song from the park cease even though the man on her back was entirely motionless.

As the scooter screeched up to the hospital, the driver gave Miku a hand pulling their patient inside.  In moments, the boy was loaded up onto a gurney and wheeled away. As he passed through the doors into the emergency room, only now did the beautiful song cease.

“Did… did you hear a song?” Miku asked the girl with her.

She shook her head as she flipped her red goggles up over her bangs.  “I didn’t hear nothin’ but the road!”

She looked to Miku, revealing bright green eyes. “By the way, kid…”

‘Kid?!’ Miku thought, ‘There’s no way you’re older than me!’

“If you don’t know that guy…”

Miku shook her head quickly.

“… well, you better say you do if you wanna stick around with him…”

To Miku’s chagrin, scooter girl was right – she hadn’t seen any sign of a phone or an ID on the man when she’d brought him in.  Somehow she suspected he might not have anyone.  “Don’t worry, just do the ‘He’s my cousin’ line… always works for me.”

The green-eyed girl gave Miku a wink.  “Buuuuut… I’m going to want to know EVERYTHING about how this all happened…”

“WHAT?!” Miku shouted, a little too loud and drawing attention from the patrons in the lobby.  More quietly, she asked “Why does it matter?”

The girl plucked a business card out of her shirt and stuffed it into Miku’s hands.  “Megpoid Gumi, kiddo,” she said with another wink, “CITIZEN blogger. And that guy… he’s gotta have a hell of a story to tell.”

Suddenly Miku began to worry suspect that this Gumi person’s seemingly altruistic act was more selfish after all.  “Um… Hatsune, was it?”

Miku turned and saw an emergency room doctor approaching her.  Gumi gave Miku a strong pat on the back.  “She’s all yours, doc!” she said, “My work is never done!”

As the “reporter” darted out of the emergency room, Miku gave the doctor an apologetic look.  “She just gave me a ride,” she said.

He shook his head. “You’re lucky that’s all she did,” he sighed, “She’s turned up here before with some odd patients.  All her ‘cousins.’ So, this man is…?”

Miku gulped. “….my cousin.  Hatsune…”

Miku blurted out the first name that came to mind.

“Hatsune Mikuo.”

 

In spite of the riveting lecture on 19th century music theory, Luka was consumed with worry.  It was 1:30PM and it wasn’t like Miku to just skip classes without a word.  Especially not one shared by both the freshman and sophomore Vocaloids members.  She glanced out the window, hoping to see her dear friend rushing across campus in a panic having overslept at the park or some other minor crisis.

The pink haired girl looked to the twin blondes staring at her with worry across the classroom.  She sadly shook her head. From the way the blondes fidgeted, clearly they were moments from springing out of the classroom. For once, even the studious Luka felt like joining them.  Ever since she’d woken up this morning, she’d felt some kind of omen hanging over her.  She silently prayed that her omen did not bear ill fortune for Miku…

 

‘I’m alive.’

He prayed with every fiber of his being that when he opened his eyes, he would be home. That every awful experience he’d had simply be the product of an awful nightmare.  That Meiko was about to chide him for his weakness and Gakupo would simply thank the spirits he was alive…

As the room he rested in grew into focus, he realized such fortune did not await him.  A dull white ceiling over his head, an infernal ringing nearby his head, and a needle jammed into his arm.  He finally became aware of odd nodes and sensors taped to his body.  Fear began to grip him as he thought he was back in the lab all over again.

He tried to find the strength to sit up, but he still felt so weak – he hadn’t finished his ballad before losing consciousness.  He heard voices outside his door and a portly woman in a white uniform entered. “Oh my!” she shouted, “Awake already?!”

He looked towards the wall, trying to pretend he couldn’t understand her.  Perhaps if he played dumb, they’d drop some useful piece of information and he could escape again… “We’ll have your cousin and the doctor paged at once!”

‘My… cousin?’ he thought to himself.  He had no living family…

As the door closed, he shook his head.  It could be another trick intended to make him drop his guard. After what they’d done to him, he would never make the mistake of trusting a human again.

_‘I promise… no matter what happens, I’ll protect you!’_

As those words returned to him, Kaito couldn’t recall the face of the person who’d spoken to him. Perhaps the ancestors had finally broken their long silence to keep him from crossing the veil of life and death.  Regardless, it had motivated him to save his own life at a moment he felt utterly demotivated.

He cried out as he finally tore out the needle in his arm.  As he summoned his “second voice”, his ballad closed the wound immediately.  He continued his ballad for a few more minutes, trying to build up enough strength to get out of the bed and out of the wretched prison he was in. Before he could work out an escape plan, the door to his room burst open again.  A human girl with long, turquoise pigtails entered, clutching a large white bag in her hand.He leaned back against his bed, taking on a defensive posture.  “Stay back!” he shouted, “I… I’m not afraid to fight for my life!”

 

Miku blinked.  “Um… I’m not here to fight you?” she asked.

Her “patient” looked frightened of her.  But more importantly, something was missing on his body...  “Hey, what happened to your wounds?!”

He remained silent, staring at her like a trapped animal.  Miku began to approach him to see his back, but stopped as he tensed up in fear.  ‘I thought he was near death!’ she thought to herself, ‘I saw all that blood, the gashes, the bullet holes… how is he fine now!?’

“Stay away from me!” he shouted to her, “I won’t let humans touch me ever again!”

‘Why is he acting like this?!’ Miku thought to herself, ‘Does he think I’m going to hurt him!?  Like they did!?’

He stared at her, as if daring her to take another step.  Miku’s heart ached at the thought of what horrible experience the boy must have suffered to have so little faith in another person.  “If you’re trying to help me, why would you bring me here?!” he shouted, his eyes burning with rage.

“To a hospital?” Miku asked, confused, “You were going to die! Of COURSE I brought you here!”

His expression began to waver. He ran a finger along his arm.   “Even all those needles?” he asked, sounding more curious than angry, “And these patches on my chest?”

‘Has he never set _foot_ in a hospital?’ Miku thought to herself, ‘He sounds like he thinks they were trying to torture him…’

“Those were just monitoring your heart rate…” she said, “So the doctors would know if your heart stopped…”

As the man seemed to grow calmer, Miku took her chance to make him understand her intentions. “I just wanted to help you…” she said, trying to appeal to his heart now that she’d assuaged his fears of the unfamiliar, “I was so scared you were going to die…  But... I just want you to know, no matter what happens, you can always trust me… and I’ll always protect you….”

The boy’s eyes went wide on hearing her say this.  “You… it was you!” he exclaimed sounding surprised.

For a moment, Miku was fearful she’d frightened him, but his entire demeanor became softer and more relaxed.  He bowed his head in deep apology.  “Whoever you are… I owe you an enormous gratitude… and an apology.”

“Miku.  I’m Hatsune Miku.”

“… my name is Kaito.”

‘Kaito…’ she thought to herself, ‘That’s… awfully normal for someone so strange.’

When Kaito said nothing else, Miku became confused.  “Um… _just_ Kaito?”

He looked at her oddly.  “There’s supposed to be more?” he said, sounding perplexed.

Now Miku began to wonder just where Kaito had really come from to not know of hospitals or surnames.  But now that he was calm, she remembered her brief errand outside the hospital and gently placed a shopping bag on the bed.  “Here, I picked up a change of clothes for you,” she said, “So you're not just stuck in your hospital gown.”

 

Luka tried Miku’s phone again.  It was now past 7PM and neither she nor the twins had heard from her.  She stared at her notepad where she’d been starting to doodle a costume for her as the phone continued to ring…

“Sempai!  What are you calling about?”

“Miku!” Luka shouted in surprise, “Where were you all day?!  None of us have been able to get ahold of you!”

She heard the girl gasp on the other end of the phone.  “Oh my god, I had it on silent all day while I was at the hospital… uh…. Rin sent me a looooot of texts…”

The word ‘hospital’ only further worried Luka.  “What are you doing out _there?_ Did something happen? Are you sick, do you need a ride, or…”

“Nah, I can just take the bus back to my place, I’ll be fine.  Thanks for the offer though,” Miku said, sounding unconcerned about the minor panic she’d generated, “We’re almost done over here.”

“Who’s… ‘we’?”

“Oh, I was helping someone out who got hurt in the park… he’s fine now though!” Miku’s melody sounded positively cheerful, the notes in her voice dancing around with relief.

‘She stumbled on someone and dragged him to the hospital?’ Luka thought to herself, ‘Well… that’s a very ‘Miku’ thing to do…’

“What’s that? Oh hey, Kaito, those clothes look good on you!  Oh, maybe a little on the baggy side with the pants, but how do they feel?”

Her heart stopped on hearing that name.  Luka swallowed, attempting to compose herself.  ‘Kaito… is a very common name,’ she thought.

“Um… they feel fine?  I’m… not sure how you expect pants to feel…”

Luka snapped her pencil in two.

‘It can’t be…’ she thought to herself, ‘if he were here… that would mean…’

“Hey, let Rin and Len know I’m safe, okay?  Don’t worry, I’ll be in class tomorrow morning!”

As Luka heard the connection drop, she tried to calm her pounding heart. 

 

Kaito twisted his arms around in the sleeves of his new clothes.  ‘So… this is how humans are supposed to dress…’ he thought to himself.

He was now wearing a black tank top, brown baggy pants, and white and blue sneakers.  He zipped up the elaborate blue and white jacket Miku had purchased for him.  Wrapping a blue muffler around his neck, he felt somewhat more secure knowing he could hide his face if needed…

“I guess I was right… white and blue are good colors on you…” Miku said, tilting her head as she admired her choice in Kaito’s attire. “I probably could have gotten you a smaller size of pants though…”

“They feel fine,” Kaito said, “How’d you guess the fit?”

Miku laughed.  “Oh, I guessed from looking at your old clothes,” she said, “Well... what’s left of them…”

The conversation fell silent again as the doctor finally returned to the hospital room, carrying large folders in his arms.  “Well, after that little scare you gave us, it’s good to see you’re holding up better now,” the older man said with a laugh.

He held up some black film to a strange light attached to the wall.  Kaito’s eyes widened when he realized that somehow the humans had taken a picture of his bones.  His eyes scanned the image for any sign of something he’d missed that could give him away…

“As you can see, Hatsune… uh, Mikuo… your bones are just fine.  Frankly, it’s a miracle you didn’t get so much as a scratch on you.  There’s no real reason to keep you here overnight given the lack of serious injuries…”

Kaito’s eyes remained on the area around his shoulder blades.  Fortunately, the doctor seemed more obsessed with how quickly his wounds had healed than asking why Kaito had a few extra bones in his back.

“Glad to see you’re okay after all that fuss… we can let you use the phone to call your family to pick you up if you need it…”

“Oh…” Kaito said, biting his lip, “I…”

Miku interrupted.  “Don’t worry!” she chirped, “I’ll let him use my phone!”

As the doctor left the room, Miku thrust an odd rectangular device in front of him.  Kaito recognized it as a communication device, though he’d not yet learned how to operate it.  “You can call your parents or whoever,” she said.

Kaito looked back outside the window, staring at the dimming sky.  “I… I can’t…” he said.

“Eh?” Miku asked.

He couldn’t explain this to a human… “I can’t go home,” he said, “I… I don’t have one anymore.”

Just saying it out loud made his heart feel heavier.  He remembered why he’d lost the will to live. What life was left for him amongst humans?

“You don’t have _anyone_?” Miku asked.

He shook his head, hoping she’d accept his silence. Why was she being so insistent? What did she want with him?

“Ummmm… my futon folds out into a bed…”

Kaito turned his head to see Miku with her hand on her chin in thought. “I mean, I don’t have any pajamas for you, we’ll probably need to do more clothes shopping tomorrow…”

“Excuse me,” Kaito asked, “are you… offering me a place to stay?”

“Well, if you just need some time to get back on your feet, you know?” she said with a bright smile.

“I can’t ask that of you…” Staying and living with a human… he’d never be able to hide effectively if there was always one around. But what else could he do?

Miku looked far more determined now.  “Come on!” she protested, “I didn’t drag you all the way out of the park like that just to see you turn yourself out into the street!”

At least in this girl’s home, he’d be indoors.  He could leave as soon as he had a better plan.  The strong, steady melody of her notes told him she was sincere.  “Okay…” he said, “I accept your hospitality.”

Miku giggled at him, as if he’d done something strange.  “What?” he asked defensively.

“You just talk so formally… though you look so young!”

Kaito rubbed a hand through his hair.  “It’s not so strange,” he said, trying to play it off, “Besides, I’m 20 years old… I’m not a child…”

Pretending to be human was going to be harder than he thought…

 

The bus ride back to Miku’s apartment was distressingly silent.  She kept looking to Kaito, unsuccessfully trying to come up with some conversation to break him out of his malaise.  He still seemed protective of himself and his past.  ‘Makes sense,’ she thought to herself, ‘After what he’s been through, he’s probably still scared…’

She still couldn’t answer what happened to lead him to the state she found him in.  In spite of the doctors claiming he came in with minimal to no wounds, she knew what she’d seen.  The wounds that created all the blood that soaked his beautiful clothes…

And yet, she was letting him stay in her home despite him still being a stranger.  Plus, there was the matter of _how_ she’d found him… feathers coated in blood… the brilliant light that flashed in the park and the beautiful song in her ears… she yearned to ask him more, if he was _that_ person, but her mind flashed back to his initial hostility in the hospital. That question could wait.

Kaito kept his eyes to the window, his gaze fixed upon the night sky. Deciding to leave him to his thoughts, Miku slipped in an ear bud attached to her smartphone, keeping one off so she could hear when her stop was announced.

_“Again in this bright daydream, lively colorful music fills me…”_

Miku began to imagine herself dancing around a colorful stage of shifting LED lights, wearing a pretty yellow dress.  Luka had been working on the sketch over the last week.

“ _It surrounds us all with this feeling, of what could be, so come on, raise your hands and reach…”_

She wasn’t sure it was possible to make an entire set out of LED lights.  But hey, she was day-dreaming, so why not?  Her heart lifted as she started planning out the choreography.  Light hops around the stage, grand motions as though she were throwing her cares away…

_“To the end of this rainbow that we seek, the weekend is so near I can’t wait ‘til it’s here…”_

“You’re a singer?”

Kaito’s voice intruding upon her daydream shattered her visage.  She blushed, expecting him to start teasing her.  “Not… not yet…” she admitted, “I am in a band though. I mean, I don’t make a living on it… right now it’s just for fun…”

At any moment she expected the usual lecture about how she should be doing something more worthwhile in today’s economy and taking her life seriously…

“Humans just sing for fun?”

Well _that_ question wasn’t what she expected to hear.  “You mean you don’t?” Miku asked him.

Kaito had that odd look on his face again – like she’d caught him doing something wrong.  “I do…I … didn’t think that… other humans… other PEOPLE… did.”

He started to look away from her, but Miku didn’t want to let this opportunity to keep him talking slip by.  “Kaito, are you in a band too?” she asked eagerly.

“I just sing for myself…” he said, sounding guarded as he shook his head.

‘Right… he’s not going to like it if I pry…’ Miku reminded herself.

“Sorry… I’m just keeping an ear out for another male vocalist!”

That seemed to calm his nerves.  “How many performers are in your troupe?” he asked.

“Just four of us,” Miku explained, “Me, Kagamine Rin and Len, and Megurine Luka.  The name of the band is ‘Vocaloids!’  We’re not like established or anything though… so we each have another talent besides vocals too…”

‘Hee… finally someone thinks this is _cool_!’

Miku began counting on her fingers.  “I play the keyboard, Len plays the guitar, Rin is on the drums, and Luka covers bass guitar!”

She found herself carried away – most people never asked her about the group at all and now Kaito was fascinated.  “Plus I do choreography, Luka’s a sewing wiz, and Rin and Len work on all our songs!”

“Oh… you don’t write your own songs?” Kaito asked.

“Urk… it’s not like _that_.”

She thought back to how hard she’d been working on just trying to pound out song lyrics in the park.  “It’s… not that I don’t write anything…” she said, “It’s just… I’m still trying to get better at it.”

The pig-tailed girl let out a massive sigh of frustration. As the two reached their stop, Kaito looked apologetic.  “I didn’t mean to insult you,” he said, “I just wondered if you wrote that song you were singing now…”

 “I came up with the idea,” she admitted, “I wrote some lyrics out, but… it just wasn’t working the first few times.”

Kaito followed closely behind Miku as she exited the bus, his eyes on the tall buildings surrounding him.  ‘Wonder if he’s ever been to a huge city like this before,’ she thought to herself, noticing that the boy seemed to be craning his neck to see the tops of the skyscrapers.  He reminded Miku of the distracted tourists to Tsubasa City she saw all the time…

The conversation petered out as the pair approached Miku’s apartment building – no skyscraper, but still a good six stories tall.  Before Miku entered, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her.  “Miku!  Wait up!”

The pig-tailed girl spun around happily as she saw Luka running over to her, clutching grocery bags in her hands.  “Sempai!” she said, “Did I catch you on the way home?”

Luka briefly caught her breath.  “I… yes, I guess so…” she said, breathing deeply.

The older girl seemed to be inspecting Miku carefully.  “Ah… Luka… _Kaito_ was in the hospital, not me….”

The older girl made an odd face as she’d been caught.  ‘It’s not like her to be this nervous…’ Miku thought to herself.

“Is this a friend of yours?”

Miku hadn’t noticed Kaito’s approach until he spoke up.  “Oh, Kaito!  This is Luka!  I told you all about her on the bus!”

Kaito bowed his head in greeting.  “Miku informed me you’re a skilled seamstress.”

Miku looked up to Luka and noticed her face appeared paler upon seeing Kaito.  While the girl would normally have showered him with polite greetings, she was strangely silent.  “Um… sempai… you two don’t know each other, do you?”

Luka looked to Kaito before answering.  “This… this is our first meeting,” she said, stumbling over her words.

Kaito seemed as surprised as Miku was, but added nothing as Luka recovered from her odd behavior.  “Kaito, I didn’t realize you’d be coming by tonight… are you a friend of Miku’s?”

‘Crap!’ Miku thought to herself.  “Oh yea, we go way back!” she said, deciding to cover for Kaito’s reluctance to speak, “Like, I mean, from Kyoto, you know?  Where I was living before?”

Luka was regarding her oddly, but Kaito seemed to swing into action behind Miku’s explanation. “Yes… it was quite fortunate,” he said, “We haven’t encountered each other since we were children.  She found me after my accident and saw me to safety.”

“Then I shouldn’t get in the way of this little visit, should I?” Luka said, her face having returned to a more natural smile, “It’s important to stay close to your friends, after all. If you haven’t seen Miku since Kyoto… it must have been a surprise to see her all grown up!”

“Well, um…” Miku said, “He’s actually going to be staying with me for a little longer.  We got to talking at the hospital and… “

“… Miku graciously allowed me a place in her home until I’ve gotten my affairs in order,” Kaito finished.

Luka nodded her head.  “I… I understand…” she said.

She gave a polite wave as she started to depart.  “Then I’ll be seeing a lot more of you, Kaito!  Eenjoy the city!”

The odd look in Luka’s eyes as she lingered on Kaito made Miku curious if something was upsetting her sempai.  Perhaps Kaito made Luka think of someone from her own childhood…

 

“This is my home, Kaito!  And yours too… for now.”

Kaito broke his long train of thought to examine the abode.  It appeared quite small – enough room for one person, just barely two.  The furniture and technology astounded him - most of it still appeared foreign to his sensibilities.  He had only vague understandings of how some of the devices she possessed worked – he hoped he wouldn’t make any embarrassing mistakes trying to learn the rest.

His eyes were drawn to a large glass door overlooking a tiny patio near the couch Miku had just rushed over to.  “Hey, Kaito, this is where you’ll sleep!” she called out.

He nodded politely to Miku. Right now, he just wanted some time to process everything that had happened to him. He still had no idea how he was going to invent another past for himself as a human. Just a brief conversation with Miku’s friend gave him trouble – he’d had to play along with what Miku had said, but he didn’t even know where this “Kyoto” was.

By now Miku had unfolded his bed and now she was gesturing to the objects in the apartment. He tried to focus on her rapid explanations. “Bathroom’s over here, toilet’s right next door,” she said, “You probably want to clean up after today.  Until we get some shopping done, you’ll have to use my soap and stuff.  Hope you like pomegranates!”

She giggled to herself.  He understood she’d made a joke, he just had trouble laughing at jokes right now.  She walked towards a small room he gathered was her kitchen.  “You can help yourself to anything in the fridge,” she said.

He glanced around the kitchen noting many other odd devices – he began to panic when he realized Miku would have expected him to know how to cook his own food.  Hopefully humans prepared _some_ meals with simpler tools and not just the strange machines in front of him.  But he nodded in acknowledgement anyway, trying to hide his confusion.

Finally the girl fell silent and Kaito realized he needed to say something. He bowed deeply to her out of gratitude.  “Thank you, Miku, for you generosity.”

When he straightened out again, he realized he’d probably done something wrong again from the odd look on Miku’s face.  Yet she smiled and bowed back.  “I should probably get out of your way… you’re probably tired and I need to check my e-mail before bed anyway…”

As Kaito watched Miku crossing the threshold into her room, he finally asked the most important question on his mind since he’d met her.  “Why are you doing this?”

The girl stopped, leaning against her open bedroom door, right hand twisting the knob.  “You don’t know who I am or where I came from… you know I lied about my past, and you know someone tried to kill me.  Wouldn’t it be safer to leave me alone?”

Miku finally turned to face him, a faraway look in her eyes.  “A long time ago, somebody helped me. Someone I never forgot.”

Though she smiled again, he detected somber notes in her voice.  Something about what she said invoked a powerful memory inside her heart.  “You kinda look like him, you know?” she said, “I guess all I could think was… he’d be happy if I did the same thing for someone else that he did for me.”

Kaito felt pangs of guilt for having pried such a tender memory loose in Miku’s heart.  But the intensity of her feelings for that person convinced him that her intentions were pure.  The girl waved a hand to him.  “Good night, Kaito.”

As the door closed, for the first time in hours, Kaito found himself alone.  He slipped off his jacket, carefully folding it and placing it on a nearby table.  As he entered the room Miku had gestured to looking for blankets, he felt relieved that at least the plumbing wasn’t dramatically different from what he’d been forced to make use of in the lab…

Kaito shuddered, trying to push those thoughts far from his mind.  As he finally settled himself onto the futon, his first real bed since his ordeal began, he stared up at the waning moon and the stars in the sky.  A sky he could never roam again. A home he could never return to because of what he’d become.

 _Val’Sharess_. Wingless.  The last Spirit Caller, fallen so far as to never be acknowledged again.  He prayed they would never learn what happened to him. Being alone was better than being exiled…

“Meiko…. Gakupo… I’m so sorry…”

 

As Miku began to change into a tank top and light shorts, she tried to suppress the emotions Kaito kept dragging out of her.  He _was_ right – she really didn’t know a thing about him.  But she hadn’t lied to him either.  Deep in her heart… she couldn’t forget the blue-haired boy with wings.

She walked over to her dresser, rooting through the top drawer until she found a pink keepsake box.  She set it down at her vanity and grasped for her purse.  Rooting around inside, though wrinkled from the day spent bouncing around unprotected, was one of the feathers she’d grabbed from Tsubasa Park. 

Miku popped up the lid of the keepsake box and laid eyes on her only proof that the blue-haired boy with wings was real.  A long, fluffy white feather she’d grabbed as he sped away into the vast blue sky.

She stared up at her wall, covered in sketches and drawings of feathers, wings, and most importantly… _him_.  Everything she could remember, to keep every detail about him real.  She’d almost confessed the truth to Kaito… he was the right age… the injuries on his back… but there was one nagging hole in her theory.  He had no idea who she was.  If Kaito really _was_ him… surely he’d remember?

Miku studied her treasured memento in one hand and the bloodied feather in the other.

They were identical.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So welcome to the next big Kaito and Miku story. This one is a bit more sprawling and complex than my last story, and it’s based off of some lore I’ve used for non-Vocaloid materials in the past. Since it’s entirely original, expect to see a lot more of your favorite characters. We are quite a ways off from seeing our entire cast. This won’t be a tight romance like The Summer and Winter Garden was, but I hope if you enjoyed that story that you will still enjoy this one.
> 
> While I set this story in modern day Japan, I’ve deliberately chosen to downplay the use of honorifics aside from occasional flavor or if they’re significant. I used to do them more, but over time I’ve gotten to the point where I feel it’s far too easy to create an artificial language barrier for a story written in English for people who primarily speak or read in English. Also expect that unless something needs to be written in Japanese, it’s not going to be – exceptions for words like sempai, or samurai, which should need no explanation.
> 
> One of the fun things about writing a modern fanfic is it is a lot easier to reference costume designs and modules from the games! Can you spot them all? Hint: I stole most of them from Project Diva. Miku’s outfit, however, was poached from some fan art of Rolling Girl that uses a different design than the module in Project Diva.
> 
>  **Song Credits:** Miku was practicing Weekender Girl (I GOT IT RIGHT THIS TIME), and attempting to write Tell Your World. And I’m sure that will NEVER come up again.


	2. Big Sweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miku tries to introduce Kaito to her friends in the “Vocaloids” band… but things don’t go as smoothly as she’d hoped. And who are the bizarre people that seem to know him – and don’t seem happy to let him run around loose? Is Miku about to get dragged into something more dangerous than she bargained for by letting Kaito into her life? Just who and what is the odd boy she found in a cloud of bloody feathers? And how is she going to get rid of that nosy Gumi that won’t stop hounding her!?

_ _

_Kaito felt the rage and fear tearing at his body the deeper he flew into the chaotic void.  Every survival instinct demanded he turn back.  The ancestors’ voices would not be found here.  But still his spirit pressed forward, Meiko’s powerful voice his only anchoring element to the world of the living._

_“You must press on and find their voices!  The Hymn is within your reach, Kaito!”_

_He could not fail his people, but the more he pressed his spirit, the more he felt as though the tender thread might snap and his spirit would be lost beyond the veil.  As a vision invaded his head, he saw a city of stone, steel, and glass.  He saw a dark chamber and rows of cells.  Inside each one, bound by tubes and wires, he saw the agonizing face of one of his people.  He reached for them, hoping to alleviate their suffering, when he felt that tender thread begin to fray._

_He tried to pull his spirit back, before that thread snapped.  Though his spirit returned to his body, the vessel was barely able to keep it contained.  He fell to the floor, his mind at once in the ritual chambers with the Elders and still drifting through the void.  He was barely aware of the voices of the High Priestess and his loyal bodyguard around him._

_“Hmph. You’re the weakest Spirit Caller in history.  We’ll start again tomorrow.”_

_“What madness are you spouting!?  He’s barely alive!”_

_Kaito felt unconsciousness claim him, a fear in his heart of what might happen to him if he died here, his spirit so fractured.  He feared falling back into the void of screeching, crashing, scraping Noise, of his entire soul being torn apart from within…_

Kaito grasped the blankets over him as he snapped back to consciousness, the memory fading from his mind.  Gradually, wakefulness returned to him and his disorientation faded when he remembered he was in a human’s dwelling. As he placed a hand to his back, he remembered that he was human as well.

‘Meiko was right…’ he thought to himself, ‘No wonder the ancestors have forsaken me… I couldn’t even protect my own wings…’

As his stomach growled, he decided to try preparing a meal.  He remembered seeing fruit in the “refrigerator”.  Perhaps he could do something for Miku to show his gratitude as well…

 

_“I woke up in front of my computer today. Good morning!”_

The melodic tones of Miku’s alarm on her smartphone slowly lulled her out of her peaceful dreams of flight.  She reached across the bed, trying to find it and maybe smack the snooze alarm for a few more minutes, a Kasane Teto song playing on her phone...

“… no, I can’t just go back to sleep…” she groaned, “Gotta make sure Kaito’s okay before class…”

At least this morning she had music composition to look forward to… no doubt Rin, Len, and Luka would be glad to see the fourth member of “Vocaloids” back in classes.

“ _While I was unaware, drowsiness snuck up on me…”_

As wakefulness caught up to her, she remembered her observations on the feathers from the night before.  “I’ve gotta find some way to ask him!” she said to herself as she climbed out of her bed.

She tried to rehearse their conversation and the scenarios began to play out in her head.  “Ah!  Kaito! Are all these bloody feathers _yours?_ ”

_“When I’m busy, your tempting words lure me in! ‘You really are stupid!’”_

“No, no, no… that’ll just scare him!”

She practiced a face in the mirror this time, hoping she could come up with something sincere and non-threatening.  “S… So… Kaito!  Have you ever… flown before?  Not on a plane, like… on your own?”

_“I’m seriously not going to make it in this hopeless moment…”_

“Kaito! You know what would match that jacket?  A big pair of wings!”

_“Instead of coming up with a good solution, I instantly give up!”_

“AHHHHH!” Miku shrieked, running her hands through her hair in frustration, “How am I supposed to ask him something like _this_?!”

_“Baka baka baka!  What is it that drives you so much?  I take off to an unknown world, giving a ride to hopes!  Baka baka baka! …”_

Miku finally located her phone on her desk and shut the alarm off.  After tying her hair up into pigtails using red ribbons, she tossed on a white peasant shirt with a red bow and slipped on a pair of black denim shorts.  The sunny sky today made her think of how badly she wanted to go down to the wharf and relax… maybe she could coax Kaito along…

Miku slipped her feather hairclip over her bangs.  “Positive… po-si-tive…” she reassured herself.

She opened the door and tiptoed into the living area again, hoping she hadn’t woken Kaito up.  To her surprise, she found him up in the kitchen, chopping up the last of the fruit in the fridge. “Oh, Kaito… didn’t realize you were an early bird… riser!”

Kaito looked up from his work, smiling broadly at Miku’s approach.  “I’m glad you’re awake!” he said, “Sorry, I was just hungry… I hope I didn’t wake you.”

Miku shook her head.  “I have to go out to class pretty soon, actually…” she said.

“Help yourself,” he said, “I made one for you already.”

“You made me breakfast?!” Miku said, “That’s so sweet! You didn’t have to do that!”

Miku skipped into the kitchen and grabbed a glass dish with a spoon in it.  As Miku put a chunk of strawberry in her mouth, she noticed Kaito had used just a _bit_ more sugar than she normally would have… “So… Kaito, I guess you like sweet stuff?”

Kaito looked a little embarrassed.  “More than most people…” he said.

Though Kaito still sounded somewhat protective about questions about himself, he seemed reasonably okay with this one.  As he finished preparing his own fruit salad, he took a seat at the table across from Miku.  Overall, his manner appeared more relaxed – Miku hoped he’d started to put some distance between whatever happened to him in the park and where he was now.

“Kaito, I was thinking… you should meet the rest of my friends…” Miku said, “If you’re comfortable with it, you know?”

Kaito looked up in thought as he swallowed a chunk of fruit.  “I mean, you don’t have to!  It’s up to you…”

“…it wouldn’t be bad for me to spend more time with hum- with people,” he said.

Of course Miku noticed Kaito’s odd habit of referring to people as “humans.”  Which only led back to her questions she still had about him.  ‘Maybe now’s a good time…’

“Um… Kaito, I… I…”

The words caught in her throat – she didn’t want to upset him now that he finally seemed to be calming down.  “Hmm?  Do you need something?” Kaito asked, looking confused.

“….I should probably tell you more about my friends…” Miku said, giving up yet again.  Trying to recover more effectively, she added “You already met Luka last night… so the other two members of the band are Rin and Len Kagamine.”

Thinking about her friends gave her a little more confidence to continue as she imagined them welcoming Kaito into their fold.  “Luka’s about your age, she’s already a sophomore.  Rin and Len are 16, but they’re like… child geniuses!  They tested into my grade back in high school, and we’ve been friends ever since!  So now we all go to the same college together!”

Miku laughed.  “They still act like kids though,” she continued, “They’re probably going to want to meet up down at the wharf at the ice cream shop...”

“Iced… cream?”

Miku slammed the table.  “How have you NEVER had ice cream?!” she shouted. “Were your parents health nuts or something!?”

The blue-haired boy looked nervous again.  “I… I could try it, I suppose…”

Miku scooped the last pieces of fruit out of her bowl and into her mouth.  “Okay, seriously, we gotta work on you…” she said, hopping up from her seat and running to grab her messenger bag out of her bedroom.    “Look, I'll just grab you when I'm done with class and we'll go down to the wharf together!”

 

By the time Miku was outside her apartment building and rushing to catch her bus, she knew she had limited time. She couldn't be late – now she was eager to finish out the academic portion of her day and move on to showing Kaito what ice cream was! But her thoughts were interrupted by the loud buzzing of a scooter engine…

“Hey! Hatsune Miku, you better not run off!!”

Miku’s eyes went wide, but before she actually _could_ start running, she felt Gumi grip her shoulder and turn her around to face her. “You thought you could just escape from me?!”

Miku tried to wriggle out Gumi’s iron grasp, but clearly Gumi had some practice in literally strong arming her sources.  “Hey, back off, I gotta go to class!”

Gumi glared at her, not about to let a story slip away.  “Noooo way! Big Sweet was crawling around the whole wharf yesterday, and you came out holdin’ a body! Start talking!”

“Big… Sweet? What kind of weird name is that?!” Miku said, “Look, I have no idea what you're talking about!”

Gumi gave a wry laugh. “We both saw that guy bleeding out, and now I find out he's in one piece?!”

“What?! I doubt the hospital just told you what happened to a patient!”

This time, Gumi’s laugh was far more knowledgeable than mocking. “A mere firewall cannot keep away the Great Gumini!”

‘Is she a hacker!?’ Miku thought to herself.

“Come on, what's the story?! The people deserve to know!”

As aggressive as Gumi was being with her, Miku legitimately couldn't answer any of her queries. Even if she weren't loyal to someone who needed her, she had no secret knowledge either. The gears in her head turned as she tried to invent a plausible excuse that could fool the reporter.

“I… He…” Miku felt her thoughts jamming under Gumi's intense glare.

“Miku! There you are!  You're going to miss the bus!”

Just like that, Miku found her arm linked to that of her dear sempai. With ease, Luka managed to work Miku out of the iron hold of Gumi. “Hey!  You can't take her! She's a valuable news source!”

“My apologies, but we're tardy as it is!”

Miku mouthed a ‘thank you’ to Luka.  As they rounded a corner out of Gumi's sight, Luka slowed to a more relaxed pace.  “Well Miku, I think we're clear….”

“Sempai… I really owe you…” she said, before she heard the familiar sound of Gumi’s scooter picking up speed.  ‘Oh come ON!’ she thought to herself.

However, Gumi appeared to have given up, as the scooter zipped past both women, charging down the street without stopping.  “As I said…” Luka said, “We’re clear.”

Miku didn’t question her good luck, though she could have sworn she heard a soft female voice singing.  Yet as she studied Luka carefully, the girl’s lips were tightly sealed, her calm smile unbroken.  ‘But this isn’t the first time I’ve heard this happen…’ Miku thought to herself.

 

As Rin took a few eager bites out of her orange sherbet, she kept scanning the wharf eagerly for a sign of Miku and her mystery man.  “I hope he’s cute…” she sighed.

Today she wore her hair in its usual Alice headband bow and clips.  She didn’t care if she her brothered teased her for being a college student with a child’s bow, it still made her feel pretty.  She had a green hoodie over her white shirt and fluffy pink skirt.  Her pink and white sneakers kept swinging under the table as she kicked her feet impatiently.

“Still seems like kind of a jerk to impose himself on Miku like that…” Len huffed, angrily jamming a spoonful of his banana sundae in his mouth.  He had a pair of white headphones resting on his shoulders, matching the pink pair his twin wore – they’d been practicing their songs on the walk over to the wharf.  His bright orange shirt and black shorts kept him cool in the warm summer’s day.  Unlike his eager sister, he kept his red-booted feet firmly planted on the ground.

“You’re just jealous,” Rin said, “Since he made the first move and all.”

Len nearly spat out his ice cream.  “Why do you always say things like that?!”

“It’s my job!” she said with a playful wink.

“As… as long as he can sing, I guess it’s okay…” he said, his cheeks red with embarrassment at getting called out, “I mean, it’s not like they’re dating or anything.”  He began to take another bite of his ice cream.

“Awwww, but wouldn’t it be SO romantic if Miku found her childhood friend after an accident and they fell in love?!” Rin squealed like an excited child.

This time, Len actually _did_ spit out his ice cream from shock. “Will you stop that?!” he said.

 

Rin began humming to herself, lost in her own little world.  Len leaned back in his chair.  Ever since Len realized he’d developed a crush on Miku, he hadn’t had the nerve to speak up.  He assumed he’d have time to figure out what he needed to say.  While Miku had certainly gone on dates in high school, she was far too devoted to “Vocaloids” for anything serious.  As his eyes scanned the wharf, he finally spotted his dear friend – and his potential “rival”.

Apparently, Rin saw them as well.  “Miku!  Miku, over here!” she shouted, waving her arms in a grand display of excitement.

As Miku walked over with her new companion, Len tried to size him up – to his chagrin, Kaito definitely had some height on him.  Len kept hoping that when he and Rin turned 16, his well-overdue growth spurt would happen… but no such luck.  Being shorter AND younger than his other co-eds still grated on him.

Miku smiled broadly to her friends, skipping over at the last few steps.  “Hey guys, good to see you!” she said, “Everyone, this is Kaito!”

Kaito gave a polite nod of his head.  “Lin and Ren, right?” he said.

Rin burst out into peals of laughter as Len made a frustrated groan. “Why do people always do that?” he grumbled, “I’m LEN and this is my sister RIN.”

“My apologies,” Kaito said, embarrassed. As Miku looked around the table, she immediately noted one absence. “Where’s Luka?”

Rin shrugged.  “She said she’d be late,” she said, “She didn’t say why.”

“Okay guys, we have an important mission,” Miku said, “Kaito… has never had ice cream before!”

Rin’s face turned to pure shock. “No!”

Kaito appeared nervous as the girls glared at him. “Quick!  Your favorite fruit!” Rin shouted.

“Strawberry?” Kaito said.

“Okay, so, the Strawberry Swirlaroo!” Miku said, looking at Rin.

“And no toppings!” Rin added, holding up an index finger, “Keep the first taste pure!”

The girls nodded to each other and ran off, leaving Kaito to slowly take a seat across the table from Len.  The blonde tactically scooped at his ice cream as he assessed Kaito, but he simply appeared confused at the events that had just played out.  Len finally decided to break the ice. “Were your parents health nuts?”

Kaito let out a sigh. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

Len laughed. “Because most people ate this stuff when they were kids!”

The blue haired man nodded, as If Len had just offered him sage wisdom.  “I didn’t grow up with my parents,” he confessed, “I guess I missed out.”

“Eh, don't worry about it,” Len drawled, “Our folks were crazy tough on me and Rin.  We didn't get to try _anything_ with sugar until we met Miku…”

 

As if on cue, Rin and Miku skipped back over to the table, Miku slamming a bowl full of some pink creamy delicacy in front of Kaito.  She handed him a spoon.  “Don’t worry, this one’s on me,” she said.

Kaito felt cold energy radiating from the odd dish in front of him. The idea of humans freezing liquid and shaping it was awe-inspiring.  He remembered how Miku was able to store her fruit in a cold box, but creating a fancy dish out of chilled cream?  Mesmerizing!  Such technology didn’t exist in the Islands.  He took a little scoop with his spoon and stuck it into his mouth…

The explosion of sweetness on his tongue set his taste buds aglow. “This is amazing!” he declared, quickly taking another bite and enjoying the savory treat.

Miku and Rin shared a laugh.  “I knew you’d like it!” Miku said, “After all that sugar you put on your fruit salad!”

Kaito realized he was being rude to eat this fast, but for the first time since he’d come to Earth, he’d found something _pleasant._   Not just pleasant, _utterly amazing_...

Suddenly a sharp pain in his temples jolted him from his reverie.  He dropped his spoon and grasped his head.  Was the treat poisoned?!  Had Miku misled him after all!?

“What’s happening?!” he asked through gritted teeth.

The boy, Len, laughed.  “You’re not supposed to eat it that fast,” he joked.

As his head throbbed, Kaito protested.  “What are you talking about?”

“It’s all that cold food touching the roof of your mouth!” Rin said authoritatively, “It makes the blood vessels in your head swell up. That’s why you’re supposed to eat it slowly.”

“How do I make it stop?” Kaito asked, frightened at hearing such terminology being used.

“Oh, I know this one!  You stick your tongue on the roof of your mouth!” Miku said.

He looked and saw the pig-tailed girl open her mouth, and demonstrate.  “Liigh thish!” she said.

Soon Rin and Len followed suit, all three of the humans holding their mouths open and saying “Ahhhh!”  Kaito tried their technique (with his mouth _closed_ ) and within soon the pain in subsided.  “You should have warned me this could be _dangerous_ ,” he said.

 

Miku started to giggle at Kaito, though she stopped as he looked sincerely upset.  “You’re still a newbie,” she chided, “You’ll learn.”

Kaito finally picked up his spoon and started to eat slowly.  ‘I’ve never seen someone that happy to eat ice cream,’ she thought to herself as his wide smile returned.

“So, Miku probably gushed all about the band already,” Len said, “Are you a singer too?”

Kaito shook his head.  “I sing a little in my spare time, just for fun.”

“And Miku hasn’t _already_ recruited you?” the boy asked in disbelief.

“Ah… well…” Miku said, “I kinda brought it up to him but…” Of course, technically Miku hadn’t even heard Kaito _sing_.

“Performing like that… it’s not really something that I do…” Kaito finished.

“Awwww!” Rin pleaded, “I’ll bet you have a pretty voice or Miku wouldn’t be dragging you everywhere! We need more male vocalists!”

“Hey!  It’s not like that!”

Len looked at Miku slyly.  “Oh suuuure,” he said, “You just happened to run into an old friend, he just happens to crash with you, and you have _no_ ulterior motive?”

Miku began to shrink in her seat before an elegant voice from behind her saved the day.  “Now, Len, Miku’s allowed a few moments of pure generosity, isn’t she?”

“Sempai!” Rin cheered.

Luka took a seat with her friends, holding a vanilla ice cream cone in one hand.  Today she wore a white blouse with a pink bow tied around the collar, a blue jacket tied around her waist and hanging over her purple skirt. “Sorry I’m late,” she said, her brown loafers lightly clomping on the ground as she scooted in her chair.  She waved her free hand in Kaito’s direction.  “It’s nice to see you again, Kaito!”

 

Luka… of course he’d remembered her from the night before.  He recalled divergent notes in her voice from their meeting. Something about his presence had upset her, though he’d yet to understand why.  Today her voice sounded far steadier, so perhaps seeing a stranger with her friend surprised her.

He cringed as he felt that sharp pain in his head again.  As he wedged his tongue up against the roof of his mouth, Luka apparently picked _that_ moment to speak to him. “So, I assume your reunion with Miku is going well?  How long has it been since you last saw her?” she asked.

“Yea!  Did you go to school together?!” Rin added.

Kaito felt the minor pain subside again as he tried to think of an answer to the barrage of questions.  “Well, we... we weren’t school mates…” he stammered. Though his headache was gone, something seemed to linger in the back of his mind…

“That’s not really important, is it?!” Miku interrupted, “All that matters is that we’re together again!”

“…so how _long_ are you going to be together?”

While Len’s question on its surface sounded innocent enough, Kaito detected a few sour notes in his voice.  “Well… I mean, probably not that long… I just needed a place for… a little while…”

‘Of course an answer like that won’t work…’ he thought to himself.  The lingering feeling he had felt began to turn to a small, dissonant melody. He couldn’t clear his mind to think straight before he once more found himself under the crosshairs.

“You’re not a _ronin_ , are you?” Rin asked.

“R…ronin?” Kaito repeated.

“Yea, did you come out here to study for the Tsubasa City University exams?” Len continued.

 

Miku slammed her hands on the table, dramatically drawing all the attention away from Kaito.  “Kaito… is just trying to get his life started again, okay?!” she huffed, “And this is as good a place as any.”

She turned beet red as she realized how she’d basically accomplished the _opposite_ of her intended action – stopping the group from over analyzing Kaito.  For whatever reason, he still seemed terribly nervous on the subject of himself.  She tried something else to diffuse the sudden tension.

“So… this is Kaito’s first trip to Tsubasa City,” Miku explained.

At that, Rin and Len brightened.  “Really!?” Rin exclaimed, turning to Kaito with pride, “Len and I have lived here all our lives!”

“Yea… if there’s anything you need to know, just ask…” Len said, his sour notes fading.

Kaito, relieved to no longer be the subject of discussion, took a long gaze at the buildings around the wharf.  “This city feels rather new, doesn’t it?”

“Tsubasa City was built 20 years ago,” Len explained, “It started out as a corporate hub for Mirror Corp, the country’s biggest biotech and R&D firm. But the Hearts invested in building it up into a huge economic center.”

“Mirror…” Kaito whispered to himself, just barely audible to Miku.

“Yea, our parents are the CEOs!  They came over from England after they founded Mirror!” On the words ‘our parents,’ Rin’s voice lost some of its enthusiasm.

“Yea, that’s why Tsubasa City has a lot of Western influence,” Len continued, “That makes it popular with international tourists.”

Rin clapped her hands together. “In fact, Tsubasa Academy, where we all went to school together, is an international school! So there’s tons of people from outside Japan living here!”

Kaito nodded as if he understood, but Miku noticed he seemed distracted. She worried that he might not be entirely healed from his injuries the day before. Before she could ask, Luka interrupted their conversation.

“So Kaito, what do you intend to do for a living while you’re waiting to take your exams?”

Miku detected a slight edge to Luka’s voice, but her face betrayed no ill intentions.  “Um… Kaito… is…”

“You know, if you needed some help finding employment, I could help you out,” she continued, “Did you work during school back in Kyoto? You’ll need some income while you stay with Miku…”

 

“I…”

“What sort of interests did you have in school?  I could direct you based on those…”

“Yea, where'd you go to school anyway?” Len added, “Close to where your family worked?”

“I… well…”

“Yea, Kaito, what kind of clubs did you join? Chorus?!” Rin asked, the only voice that sounded legitimately friendly.

The wretched melody felt like it was shattering the thoughts Kaito tried to form, leaving only frustration in its wake.  Any human could answer simple questions like these, why couldn’t he?! 

Because he _wasn’t_ human.

As his anger with himself grew, Kaito finally rose to his feet, politely bowing to the group. “I need a… a restroom… I'll come right back…”

“It's back that way… Do you need help-“

“No,” Kaito said curtly, cutting off Miku’s attempt to aid him.

Kaito quickly strode away, rushing around until he found what he hoped was the right room. ‘Blue should be the men's room…’

Once he was inside, he found himself face to face with his reflection. To everyone around him he looked perfectly normal.  He looked _human_. Only he could comprehend why looking human separated him.

“I'm not human…” he whispered, placing a hand on the mirror, “But I'm not Seruva anymore either…”

Something as simple as an afternoon with his host and her friends and he couldn't last more than twenty minutes. Kaito clenched his fist and moved away from the mirror. “I’m sorry Miku… You tried.”

The discordant melody continued to rattle around in his head…

 

Luka clutched her hands around her largely uneaten ice cream cone as the silence at the table continued. Miku watched her friend carefully, still in shock that the normally calm girl had been so aggressive with Kaito.  “…I didn’t mean to scare him,” Luka finally said.

“You weren’t asking anything weird,” Len said, “He’s the one that’s being weird!”

Miku clutched her hands together. “Kaito… had a really bad accident,” she said, trying to protect him while being as honest as possible, “Plus he lost his family… he’s still trying to piece it all together.”

Len seemed to want to say something else before looking over Miku’s head.  “Uh… isn’t that him over there?”

Miku turned her head to see Kaito was wandering along the wharf.  “Wow… how’d he get past us so fast?” Miku said.

She folded up her hands in apology.  “I’ll go talk to him, okay?” she said, “Sorry about… everything…”

 

As Miku leapt up from the table and chased down her friend, Len kept his eyes on her.  Those lovely twin tails swaying behind her as she ran after someone else.  Surely Miku wouldn’t conceal a _boyfriend_ from them… they’d always been more honest with each other than that…

He glanced over at Luka, who was letting her ice cream cone melt all over her hands. “Sempai… are you okay?”

At being acknowledged, Luka began dabbing at her hands with a napkin, trying to remove the sticky mess.  “I’m sorry, I don’t know where my head is today…”

“That makes you AND Miku…” Len added.

“…I don’t think Kaito’s a bad person,” Rin finally said, poking at her melting sherbet.

Len let out a loud sigh.  “I don’t think so either,” he admitted.  Sure Kaito was strange beyond belief but… it didn’t seem like he meant any harm.

“Sometimes when people are deeply hurt, they don’t act rational,” Luka said, staring off into the wide ocean with whimsical eyes.

‘Right… Miku started talking about families again…’ Len thought to himself.  Perhaps Kaito’s situation was a little too familiar to the helpful girl.

“… I guess it’s just like Miku to take pity on a guy that just lost his folks, huh?”

The most depressing fact of the four Vocaloids remained one thing they shared in common besides their love of song – not one of them had parents any longer.  While the Kagamines had their adoptive parents, their contact with the Hearts was rare now that they didn’t even live together anymore.  Luka’s parents had passed away, leaving her to grow up in an institution until she enrolled at Tsubasa City Academy and moved into the dorms. A topic she rarely discussed.

And Miku…

“We should invite Kaito to practice tomorrow!” Rin suggested, “He said he sang for fun, so maybe that will cheer him up!”

Luka nodded her head, turning to face the twins with a somewhat lighter mood.  “That would be lovely,” she said, “I’ll let Miku know… besides, I owe her and Kaito an apology.”

Len shook his head.  “Nah, we all do,” he said, “It’ll be like… a second first impression.”

 

“Kaito!  Kaito, wait up!”

The blue-haired man tensed up at hearing Miku’s voice.  She feared he was going to run away, but he slowed his walk.  If he’d planned to run, he seemed to have rethought his stance.

“Miku, I appreciate everything you’re trying to do, really, but this isn’t going to work…” Kaito sounded as if he was under a great deal of stress.

“They weren’t angry with you!” Miku protested, “We’ve just been friends for so long, they… they were worried about me.  They wanted to know more about you so they knew I’d be safe.”

As Kaito sped up again, Miku started to jog to catch up with him.  By now, Miku and Kaito had gotten so far up the wharf path that they were the only ones around.  “I don’t want to pry,” she said, “But… it’d be easier for me to help you if… if I knew more about you too.  Especially… what happened to you.”

Despite her best efforts, she still couldn’t forget the sight of all that blood.  The gashes on Kaito’s back.  The blood soaked feathers.  The question she wanted to ask felt trapped in her throat.

_‘Now Miku, there’s no such thing as people with wings.’_

_‘Miku… it’s understandable you’re upset about what happened to your parents… but you know it’s impossible for humans to fly.’_

Even now, the voices of those who cast doubt on her experience ran through her head.  Declaring that what _happened_ to her, being clutched from the sky as she plunged to certain death… that it was a lie.  Yet… she desperately wished that somehow, Kaito would prove her right.

Kaito stopped walking, his fists clenched at his side.  “Why…” he asked quietly.  His voice rose in anger.  “Why are you so obsessed with me!?  Why can’t you humans leave me alone!?”

She couldn’t hold back, her clumsy question flying out. “…you used to have wings, didn’t you?!” she shouted, her eyes screwed shut with fear.

Just hearing the words on her lips… she knew how ridiculous she sounded.  She’d taken a perfect stranger and tried to make him fit into the mold of _that_ person.  But Kaito didn’t even know her.  “I’m so sorry…” she began to apologize, “Forget I said it!  It’s crazy, I know!  They’re not real… there’s no such thing…”

She opened her eyes to see Kaito staring at her, his eyes wide with surprise.  “How did you know?”

At that moment, his eyes jerked over Miku’s head and his expression turned to fear.  Following his eyes, Miku turned to try and see what had upset him.  He seemed to be staring at a rather odd looking pair of people casually strolling up the wharf.  One a tall, brute of a man with shocks of white breaking up his slicked-back brown hair. He wore an odd circlet around his forehead and a fancy red and black suit.  The woman at his side was clad in a white sun dress, black ribbons trailing around her neck and shoulders.  Something about the look in her eyes and the crooked smile on her partner’s face set Miku on edge.

Suddenly she found Kaito’s hand gripping her wrist.  “We can’t stay here!” he shouted.

No sooner had the words left his lips, then Miku saw the woman display a wicked smirk.  Kaito tugged Miku with him as he broke into a dead sprint. Though Miku wanted to learn who she was running from, Kaito's reaction told her that somehow, these people were responsible for his state in the park.

She didn't have long to think before she glanced back and gasped as the man wrenched a lamppost from the ground as if it were nothing. He and his companion quickly closed the distance between themselves and Miku screamed as the lamppost was swung right at them.

But it never touched either of them. For just a moment, she heard that beautiful voice once more, like a wave extending from Kaito's body. Instead of Miku being smashed by a heavy object, she watched it slam harmlessly into a wall of light. “What's going on?!” Miku shouted.

Kaito yanked her closer to him as the woman leapt through the air, her fists extended. “Now now, since when did scrap get up and walk away?!” she cried out in her mad charge.

Miku watched as Kaito held out his arms, doing his best to counter every furious punch with another shield. Frighteningly, despite the fact the mild-mannered woman apparently had strength and speed well beyond her seemingly mild build, she was smiling throughout her violent assault.

Miku realized Kaito’s attempts to defend himself might not be enough, as once the man began to swing his weapon around with reckless abandon Kaito was forced to try and put up additional shields.  Inevetiably, it only took one shield slipping for a blow to get through and Kaito took the brunt of a beating by the lamppost.  Both he and Miku slammed into the rock wall overlooking the docks.

Miku tried to stand again.  She looked to Kaito with worry as he was struggling to get back up, having taken a much stronger blow.  Without a second thought, she placed herself between the two people that had just beaten him within an inch of his life, holding out her arms as though somehow she could protect Kaito from the two juggernaut. “Who are you?!” she shouted.

The woman gave a shaky curtsy.  “ _Sweet Ann, Sweet Ann, Sweet Ann, Sweet Ann!  Virtual singer, Sweet Ann!”_

‘Why did she _sing_ that?!’ Miku thought.

“Now that’s just rude, my Sweet Ann, you know I never came up with a song worthy of Big Al!”

‘Big Al… Sweet Ann…. Big Sweet?!’ Miku finally remembered Gumi’s interrogation from the morning and her obsession with “Big Sweet.”

Big Al shoved his lamppost into Miku’s direction, like a battering ram, stopping just short of crushing her and Kaito against the wall.  “Now, I don’t really remember _his_ name, but I do remember one thing – he was _scrap_ but now he’s not. We need to find out why.”

Miku felt Kaito’s hand on her wrist again.  “Close your eyes…” he whispered to her.

Though Miku felt fear at letting such dangerous people out of her sight, she did as told.  She heard another powerful song – this one sounding like a quick, solid burst.

As she opened her eyes again, she saw Al and Ann stumble backwards, their hands over their eyes.  “Where did that LIGHT come from?!” the woman shouted.

“Now, Miku!  Follow me!” Kaito shouted, leaping over the wall onto the docks below.

“This is crazy!” Miku shouted.  Her years of dance training came to good use as she landed gracefully on the wood.  “We gotta hide!” she shouted, taking charge.  She scanned the walls of the wharf, spotting a large drainage pipe.  If the gates were open, she and Kaito could get far enough back that they’d be hard to find…

“Come on!  Follow me!” she called out to Kaito, pointing the way ahead.  He nodded and kept pace with Miku.  As they crossed into the pipe, they didn’t get far before discovering a massive locked gate.  She banged her hands against it fruitlessly.  She heard Sweet Ann’s horrible voice ringing out behind her.  “Has our little clipped birdie flown away?!”

“Kaito… I’m sorry…” she apologized, tearing up, “I made it worse…”

Before she could say anything else, Kaito grabbed Miku and pulled her close to his body.  Suddenly having her face smashed up against his chest, Miku felt her emotions heighten.  She moved to speak before Kaito pressed a single finger to his lips.  Still gripping her, he pulled her into a corner, his back pressing into the gate and the wall.

And then Miku heard it again.  Kaito’s voice.  She studied his lips carefully, but he was perfectly still, his eyes closed in deep concentration.  “They’ll hear us-“

He raised his finger again and Miku decided to trust him.  A scraping sound approached the crouching duo and Miku heard thick boots clomping along the metal drain pipe.  Big Al turned the corner, still carrying his lamppost that he was dragging against the wall and wearing a mad smile.

_“Let me wipe your tears for you… My darling do not cry…”_

Miku bit her lip as she saw him look straight at her.  She choked back a scream.  Though Kaito still had a firm grip on her, his body felt tense – clearly he was just as frightened of Big Al as she was.  She kept her eyes locked with his, waiting for him to strike her… but he turned his head and walked past, pressing a firm hand against the gate.

_“You know I'd never let you down, I will never die...”_

‘Why didn’t he say anything?!’ Miku thought to herself.  ‘Why can’t he _hear_ Kaito singing?!’

“The birdie’s flown away, dear!” Miku heard Sweet Ann’s voice echo down the pipe, “They’re _all_ empty!”

In a moment of frustration, Big Al punched the gate, the force causing the entire piece to buckle.  Miku almost jumped ten feet at the impact, but still tried to maintain her silence.  Somehow… Kaito was preventing the two of them from being seen.  “Well, at least Ollie can’t get too upset…” he shouted to no one in particular, “We finished our job! This was just a little diversion!”

As Big Al casually strolled away, Miku listened to the sound of his eerie song slowly fading away. 

“ _The flames are reaching heaven's sky, prepare to attack…”_

As his odd, mechanical melody faded in the tunnel, Miku finally heard Kaito’s voice fade with it.  The taller man released Miku, slumping back against the wall and sliding down to a sitting position.  He covered his head with his hands.  Miku took a seat next to him. Upon seeing how his hands shook, she already knew he was in no state to speak.  She wanted desperately to know who these violent people were and why they were trying to hurt him. She also felt angry with herself for being so useless to him when he was in danger.  ‘He might have been able to escape faster if he didn’t have to drag me around…’

Finally, Kaito raised his head.  “How did you know? About my wings?”

Miku twirled a few strands of her hair around her index finger.  “Kaito… I … I saw your wounds.  Before they went away.  And… I saw all the feathers too.  And…”

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, both from the shock of suddenly having to fight for her life, and from what she was about to confess.  “… That person.  The guy you look like.”

Her lip quivered as she pressed herself to finish answering his question.  He deserved to know…

“He saved my life. About seven years ago.  And… and… he had wings.”

She couldn’t hold her feelings back any longer.  Her entire afternoon had been the chaos of her friends fighting, nearly getting kidnapped or killed by those monstrous people… and now she’d just confessed her deepest secret to Kaito. In spite of how hard she’d tried to be brave and composed, Miku buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

 

Kaito regretted upsetting Miku, especially after their near-death experience. But now he could finally relax.  In spite of dragging an innocent human into his troubles… he felt at peace.  For just one person, he didn’t have to pretend anymore.

“They said… I just imagined him… because I had survivor’s guilt… but I never stopped believing in him…”

Kaito gave Miku some time to recompose herself.  He had plenty of questions, and he owed her answers.  “I guess… I could have been more honest with you…”

Miku’s sobs trickled off as she began to calm down.  “I’m not human,” Kaito continued, “I’m a Seruva.  The simplest explanation is… we’re people with wings.”

Remembering how he’d already given away his abilities, he added “And magic.”

“Please… tell me the truth… were you that boy?”

Miku still had tears in her eyes as she looked to Kaito again.  The desperate notes in her voice gave him pause and he found himself disappointed in answering in the negative.  “No, it couldn’t be. This is the first time I’ve ever been among humans.”

Though Kaito feared that Miku might start crying again, she seemed to accept his answer.  ‘Maybe she just wanted an honest confirmation of the truth…’ he thought to himself.

As Miku finally began to pull herself back together, she asked the question he dreaded.

“Who were those people?”

Kaito felt those awful memories clawing away at him again.  He gave the most honest, simple answer he felt capable of giving right now.

“Those people… those people tore off my wings.”

 

Luka sat on her couch, hard at work on her laptop.  Her sketch pad rested next to her, an unfinished mock up of Miku’s newest costume on the top page.  Normally she loved to release her artistic skills whenever the moment took her, and especially when her stress was this high. But ever since meeting Kaito… she’d found herself involved in something she found more important. 

An instant messenger chat window sat open on her screen.

[16bitCaRR0T: u gotta see this pic   
16bitCaRR0T: sry it’s a crappy cam pic  
16bitCaRR0T: ur guy? could b wings  
16bitCaRR0T: or a cheap cape :P]

She accepted the file download and watched the grainy image appear on her screen. She could make out the form of a man with purple hair in traditional warrior’s robes wielding a sword.  In retrospect, the clothes of a Seruva warrior bore more than a little resemblance to traditional jinbaori worn in Japan during their feudal era.  The look in his eyes surprised her – members of the warrior caste were known for being calm and collected. This man looked violent enough to kill on sight. And then there was the matter of him possessing claw-like fingernails and strange face paint… but most worryingly of all, his wings were jet black. Like a crow.

Luka stared at her screen, carefully planning her response. This obviously wasn’t Kaito. But if someone with wings was roaming Tsubasa City, they likely had something to _do_ with Kaito.  However he came to be _Val’Sharess_ , she possessed doubts the Elders would formally Sever the last Spirit Caller.

[2xLariat: Any casualties?]  
[16bitCaRR0T: nah, just a buncha drunks wetting their pants]

Luka breathed a sigh of relief.

[2xLariat: Maybe a street performer?  It _is_ 4 th district.]  
[16bitCaRR0T: omg 4th district shinigami!  luv it! thx thx thx ~_^]

 “Shinigami.”  A local term for a grim reaper.  Trying to imagine one of her own kind as something so dangerous was foreign to her.  But it was her imperative to find this man. _Before_ he found Kaito.

“Kaito…” she whispered, “Even if you never remember who I am… I believe fate gave me this chance… I won’t fail to protect you again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, you thought I’d just write a chapter about Kaito nomming on ice cream! Nope, this a “werewolves piloting helicopters” story, dammit, I am NOT letting these people have a nice normal day without something crazy happening!
> 
> While I’m trying not to cram this story with too much Japanese flavor, I did slip in a few things that might need some context. Rin asks Kaito if he’s a ronin – in Japan, this is a term that was originally used to describe wandering samurai who had no masters (i.e. vagrants.) In modern day Japan, it’s a derogatory term used for someone who’s graduated high school but not yet enrolled in college. Kaito would appear to fit the bill to a stranger! Furthermore, when Len reflects that Luka grew up in an “institution”, it’s basically what the Japanese use for orphanages. More on those later.
> 
> **Song Credits:** Miku's alarm clock mocked her with Triple Baka… except in this universe, [it’s a Teto song!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfsIVZQdmJ0) Hmmm… she sure is popular in this universe. Sweet Ann attempted to punch through the fourth wall along with actual walls with [“Sweet Ann no Uta.”](http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm3658165) Big Al was singing [“HIM”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4H7jJLSKKs) by Crusher-P.


	3. 4th District Shinigami

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Miku knows Kaito’s secrets, her promise to protect him seems like a taller order than she expected – because now she’s keeping secrets from the Vocaloids as well! But rumors of an evil spirit haunting a shrine in Tsubasa City have Miku and Kaito hunting someone Kaito claims is a “friend.” But they find more than they bargained for when they wind up in a fight to the death against the “4th District Shinigami”!

“You who invade my sacred territory… prepare to be cut down for your insolence.”

“Taro you idiot, stop trying to take his photo and just run!”

“Nobody’s gonna believe this… that guy really IS a shinigami!  This whole damn city’s haunted!”

The footsteps of the drunken invaders faded into the night.  The “shinigami” stood motionless, sword in hand, refusing to cross another step lest he pass outside his sanctuary. He felt no need to cross the threshold and pursue them, lest he interrupt his own enlightenment.

He marched back into the garden of the run down shrine, approaching its small, wooden hokora.  A small, smooth, solid black mechanical box sat at the base.  The wretched humans could not hear the melody that flowed from the box, its chaotic dissonance flowing through the area.  As he knelt down before it in meditation, he planted his sword into the ground, clutching the hilt tightly in his clawed hands.  Now that melody no longer left the area, but flowed into his sword… and into him.

The purple-haired warrior stayed completely motionless, awaiting the answer he sought to enter his mind. He had only two orders. Find Kaito. Kill anyone who interfered. The notes bounced around his mind, swearing to give him both the answer to his first order… and the means to carry out the second.

He folded his black, razor-sharp wings behind him and waited for the moment when he would have his answer and take to the skies to seek his prey.

 

“So ice cream can be acquired _anywhere_?!” Kaito asked in astonishment as Miku handed him a small cup of vanilla ice cream.

In spite of the horrible afternoon she’d just survived, she found her mood lifted by seeing Kaito at her kitchen table gleefully prying off the lid to the cup and digging in.  ‘Having to keep a secret like that must have been so terrible for him…’ Miku thought to herself, ‘No wonder he was such a wreck.’

“So you’re a Cheruba…”

“ _Seruva.”_

“So where do Seruva live anyway?”

Kaito quickly swallowed his current bite of ice cream.  “We live in a huge expanse of islands in the sky…” he explained, “Humans can’t get there since they can’t fly or wield song magic… well, normally, they can’t.”

Miku leaned against the counter. “Uh, we can’t fly the way you guys do… but we have ways of flying.”

He hesitated before his next bite of ice cream.  “Right… I remember, you have those mechanical things instead.”

“Airplanes, Kaito.  They’re everywhere too.  I’ll point one out next time one flies overhead.”

“So are there like… ancient ruins and fantastical creatures there and stuff?!” Miku asked excitedly, her thoughts racing to movies she saw as a child of floating castles in the sky.

Kaito laughed at her enthusiasm.  “Something like that!” he said.

Witnessing Kaito’s light and cheerful demeanor, Miku wondered if this was closer to his true personality. “Man… it’d be cool to see something like that…” Miku sighed dreamily.

At that, Kaito shook his head quickly.  “No!  Humans aren’t allowed there!” he said, “That’s why even I can’t go back!”

Miku sighed as her flying castle fantasies drifted away.  “What have the _Seruva_ got against humans anyway?” she asked, a little sour.

“OW!”

Kaito suddenly clamped his mouth shut, cringing as he held a hand to his temple.  “Heh… Kaito, you gotta eat that slow, remember?”

Kaito nodded in embarrassment.  Miku gave him some time to recover before he spoke again. “A long time ago, the Seruva and the humans fought a war,” he said, more seriously, “The Seruva were almost wiped out.  The Islands are all that’s left, and even that we only got because of the power of the Spirit Callers.  As a rule, even talking to humans can get you in a lot of trouble.”

His eyes became downcast.  “It’s the kind of stuff that gets people Severed.”

‘Well _that_ doesn’t sound pleasant…’ Miku thought to herself.  Though she thought she might regret it, she pressed on.  “What happens when you’re Severed?”

As painful memories showed on Kaito’s face, Miku wished she could take the question back and turn him back to his happy, cheerful self from a few moments ago. “No, you deserve an answer…” he murmured, “After all, it’s why I can’t go home…”

When he looked at Miku again, his eyes possessed a dangerous intensity.  “To be Severed means they cut off your wings.”

“WHAT?!” Miku shouted, “That’s horrible!“

Kaito kept talking, not stopping to acknowledge her outburst.  “From that point forward, you are no longer Seruva.  _Val’Sharess._   It means something like ‘Wingless’ in your language. You are cast down to the Earth amongst the humans, stripped of your name, your place in your family, and your home.  Anyone providing you aid or even acknowledging you risks the same punishment.”

“I’m _Val’Sharess_ now,” he finished, “therefore… I am officially no longer Seruva.”

Miku was reeling from the revelation.  “But Kaito, you didn’t do anything!  Nobody Severed you!  Why are you responsible? What kind of people just turn their backs on their family and friends?!”

He seemed to have anticipated her question.  “I didn’t commit a crime, per say,” Kaito said carefully, “but I did lose my wings.  In the final days of the war, some of the Seruva split away to join the humans and as a sign of their betrayal, they cut their own wings off.  There’s no proof that I didn’t do the same… so they’re playing it safe. We… _they_ have to.  There's so few of us left.”

Now Miku found herself near tears again. Such a cruel practice… she couldn’t imagine losing her feet for committing a crime.  She couldn’t imagine being thrown out of her own society for losing a foot either.  No wonder Kaito was so upset the last two days.  She didn’t know how he was holding himself together right now.

“Kaito… you can stay here as long as you need, okay?”

“…thank you,” he said softly, “I don’t wish to take advantage of you… but I guess I’m a little more… out of my depth… than I realized.”

Miku happily snapped her fingers.  “Don’t worry, I’ll give you human lessons!” she declared, “You’ll fit in with us in no time!”

He seemed somewhat pleased with her suggestion.  “I’m sorry I made such a mess of things with your friends…” he said.

“No, no, no!  I told you, it’ll be fine!” Miku insisted, “Before you see them again, we’ll work on a new history for you, okay?”

She laughed.  “I knew you weren’t from around here, but I didn’t know how far away you really came from…”

Far more relaxed, Kaito returned to happily eating his ice cream.  “We’ll have to start by pointing out Kyoto on a map…” Miku mused aloud.

Her mind drifted back to her friends.  She’d gotten a text from Luka on the way home, suggesting Miku bring Kaito to Vocaloid practice.  She still felt a little nervous having him meet them again.

“Oh wow, I can’t believe I forgot to ask!” Miku continued, “All that magic you were using… how does it work?  I mean, I could hear you singing but your lips were closed the whole time…”

At that Kaito nearly gagged on his ice cream.  “You HEARD me?!” he asked aloud, his face revealing shock.

“Um… I wasn’t supposed to?” Miku asked.

Kaito shook his head again.  “Seruva cast magic with songs.  Some of them are simple – a shield is just a few notes.  But a more complicated spell requires that I be able to constantly sing to maintain it.  We’d be utterly useless if we lost the ability to talk just to cast them.  So we all have a power that lets us sing and speak at once… we call it our ‘second voice.’”

This was not clearer.  “Kaito, you‘re not making sense…” Miku said.

Kaito seemed to know he wasn’t being clear, but struggled for the words.  “I can start a song… use my voice… but still have my voice.  Since I’m using magic to create the other song with the other voice… I don’t use my ‘real’ voice.”

He looked to Miku in curiosity.  “What I don’t understand is how you could hear it!  The second voice should be beyond human ears!  A talented Seruva can even hide their other voice from other Seruva and cast spells without being caught!  How can you do that?”

Miku held up her hands.  “Don’t look at me!” she said, “At least now I know why that Big Al jerk didn’t hear us… you just made us invisible…”

Kaito nodded his head.  “I was really impressed with how brave you were with the both of them…”

Miku felt herself blush. “You actually tried to protect me even though you knew how strong they were… if you hadn’t distracted them, I never would have gotten that spell off…”

“You don’t think they’re looking for you, do you?”

She saw Kaito’s expression grow more tense.  He looked away from Miku and his precious ice cream entirely.  “Miku, I didn’t come to this world, or this city, on my own.  I was kidnapped from my people, by humans that somehow made it into the Islands.  Even with all my magic, they were able to subdue me and drag me here… they took me to a lab and… and…”

Kaito’s voice trailed off and Miku recognized him slipping back into that fearful state she’d found him in at the hospital. After a few moments of silence, Miku finally gave him a break.  “Kaito… if you’re not ready to talk about what happened to you… I understand…”

Though his fingers still showed tension as he pressed the tips against the table, he nodded his head.  “I’m sorry…”

“It’s okay… this all just happened… I’m just glad you survived it…”

Kaito looked back to Miku, his expression far sadder than before. “I just want you to know… I really was about to die yesterday…” he said softly, “I didn’t know if I’d cast a healing ballad fast enough… If you hadn’t tried to keep me alive… I…”

Miku tried to shift the topic to something less grim.  “So you can patch yourself up with just a song?” she asked, trying to sound more cheerful.

“Apparently my healing ballads have always been more potent than most,” he admitted, rubbing a hand on the back of his head, “This time even I was surprised it was so thorough though!”

“So if I scrape my knee, you’ll patch me right up, right?”

Miku winked at Kaito.  The blue-haired man chuckled in response.  “I guess it’d be the least I could do for you…”

 

Kaito spent a few hours that night and the next morning working with Miku on the gaps he still had on how to pass as a human.  As he walked down the street with her, she was still drilling him to make sure he could answer the questions.

“Where did you grow up?”

“Minami-ku, near the industrial wards.”

“Why are you in Tsubasa City?”I

“I took my inheritance to try and get into Tsubasa City University.”

“And why aren’t you there yet?”

“I’m studying for the entrance exam in the spring. My relatives and I are on bad terms because I didn’t take over the family business. I’m staying with you until I start school.”

It seemed bizarre for Kaito to have to invent an entire fake life for himself. But he didn’t have a choice. For all intents and purposes, he was supposed to be human now. At least now he had Miku helping him.

Apparently when the group gathered for Vocaloid practice, they tended to wear their individual character costumes.  Hence Miku wore a grey sleeveless blouse with a teal tie, matching her hair color, a pair of long bell-shaped arm warmers, black skirt with teal trim, and tall black boots.  She had a headset on, as well as two odd looking hair pieces holding her pigtails together.

“Where’s your phone?”

“Lost it on the train over.”

‘So many little intricacies to pay attention to…’ Kaito thought to himself. Seruva were hardly uncivilized, but their level of technology lagged behind humanity. Of course, many of the needs humans had for technology the Seruva simply used magic for.  Even so, he noticed humans in particular owned far more possessions and placed a greater deal of importance on them.

He heard an odd buzzing sound approaching him.  He tried to remember why it was familiar before he realized it was that “scooter” device Miku had told him about.  In particular, the one she’d held him on as they rode to the hospital.

Upon hearing the noise, Miku appeared to prickle, then turned to him with a look of panic.  “That’s Gumi!  We’ve gotta hide!”

“In plain sight?” Kaito asked, “Is she dangerous?”

Miku let out a groan.  “She might be… she won’t stop asking about you and… wait!  You can do that thing you did yesterday!”

Kaito glanced around – he didn’t see the scooter yet.  “Just stick close to me,” he said, “And keep quiet.”

His song could only alter Gumi’s perception to miss himself and Miku – he couldn’t actually make them invisible, so disappearing in front of her wouldn’t work. He summoned his second voice from the depths of his heart and began the melody of concealment.  He accounted for the extra person next to him, allowing his notes to wrap around the both of them.

He watched as a green-haired girl on an orange scooter flew past him. As the scooter veered down a side street at top speed, he waited a few moments before ceasing his melody.

“She’s gone… thanks Kaito…”

Miku looked relieved to not engage this “Gumi” person, though Kaito had yet to meet her. He possessed a greater sense of charity toward her given her role in preserving his life.  But if she was nosy… he wasn’t quite ready to handle a barrage of questions when he still needed to remember that he was a member of the choral club at Rakunan High.

_“It was fun to spin aimlessly, and I wanted to stay that way…”_

As he and Miku passed into a small park, a woman’s singing voice drifted past his ears.  He spotted Luka standing in front of a boom box, twirling around on her heels with her arms extended.  She wore a sleeveless black shirt over a sheer black undershirt, black skirt slit up her left thigh, black stockings, and gold boots.  On her right arm, she wore a gold sleeve, matching Miku’s.

_“If I kept on spinning aimlessly, I believed something could come of it…”_

“That’s Luka for you!” Miku giggled, “She gets here super early and starts practicing until we get here.”

Something about her voice made Kaito’s heart nostalgic.  Perhaps he’d heard this song before?  But that would be impossible, given that he’d never met Luka before. Maybe it was just the melancholic notes he heard woven into her singing voice. 

“Sempai!  We’re here!”

Miku had finally told Kaito that “sempai” was a title Miku and the Kagamines gave her back in school when she was an older student and mentor to them.  As they still respected her now, they’d maintained the tradition.

Upon hearing Miku’s voice, Luka’s grace was shattered as she tried to come to a stop.  Tottering on her heel, she steadied herself before toppling entirely.  She switched off her music as Miku skipped over to her.  “You’ve gotten so good at your spinning!” Miku said, holding her arms out and trying to twirl herself, her pigtails encircling her as she spun.

“You think so?” Luka laughed, “I’m hoping to get to the point where I can twirl through the entire song!”

She approached Kaito and deeply bowed her head.  “I apologize for making you uncomfortable yesterday,” she said, “I want you to feel welcome among us.”

While many times when Luka spoke, Kaito detected conflicting melodies in her voice, this time she sounded steady and strong.  “It’s fine,” he said, “I didn’t mean to worry you all yesterday…”

“I’m glad the two of you weren’t caught up in that accident on the wharf!” Luka continued, raising up again, “I heard on the news that a lamppost fell over and did all kinds of damage!”

Kaito swallowed, trying to cover the dissonance in his voice.  “R…Really? Miku and I didn’t even hear it...”

“Sempaiiiii!”

Kaito turned to see Rin and Len approaching the amphitheater, Len walking at a steady pace while Rin was running down the grassy hill as fast as her legs would carry her.  They each wore white and black uniforms, highlighting both their similarities and their differences.  Rin wore a white shirt with a black sailor’s collar and yellow sash, a pair of small black shorts, and black arm and boot covers.  Len wore a baggier shirt and pants, his own sash in the shape of a tie.

Rin practically leapt towards Kaito. “Kaito, I’m so happy to see you again!” she said with a big smile, “Did Miku make you join Vocaloids yet?!”

Kaito rubbed a hand through his hair.  Of course he and Miku _had_ discussed this topic, but….  “I… I really just wanted to see what you do first…” he stammered.

Rin started clapping her hands together.  “Len, we should totally go first!”

Len held a hand to his chin with a cocky smile.  “I think Miku should go first…”

“EH!?  What’s that tone about, Len?!” Miku huffed.

Len leaned back on his heels.  “How do we know you weren’t wasting all your time goofing off with Kaito instead of practicing?!” he teased.

Before Kaito could protest that he had in fact seen Miku practicing, Rin butted in.  “Hey, that’s right!” she said, “You were the most out of practice last time!  So you gotta go first this time!”

“Awww, come on guys!  You know I take Vocaloids super, super serious!” Miku squealed.

She looked to Luka for support.  “Sempaiiiiii….” she whined.

“Miku, if you practiced, then going first shouldn’t be a problem,” she said in a stern tone.

Her battle lost, Miku waved towards the benches.  “Kaito, just grab a seat,” she said.

 

_“The…the hands of time will continue kicking… until they demolish…”_

“Come on Miku, that’s not even close!” Len scolded.

“You guys are just making me nervous!”

“From the top, Miku!” Rin chanted, “It’s just going to be more stress in front of a crowd!”

The rest of the group sat back, being both Miku’s greatest supporter and her harshest taskmaster.  Kaito thought they considered this “fun”, but the amount of dedication they put into their singing… this was far more for them than just a hobby.  He watched as Miku tried to co-ordinate an elaborate dance, moving her hands as though she were tossing objects through the air and skipping along the stage.

_“Reach towards the opposite end of the prism, I can’t wait!  Weekender Girl!”_

Watching the bubbly girl in motion, he could practically imagine her throwing around shapes and lights.  For Miku, her notes flowed freely and lightly.  Song wasn’t just a means to an end for her, but an escape.  Even Kaito understood what that meant…

“Okay Miku, you’re off the hook!” Len said.

“Your dancing is getting really good!” Rin cheered, “How’s that new song coming?”

Miku took a sip from her water bottle as she wiped sweat from her forehead.  “Still working on it…” she grumbled, “Luka, did you finish the pansy pattern?”

Luka smiled and held up a sketch pad.  In perfect detail was a picture of Miku wearing an elaborate dress with a skirt shaped like a pansy blossom.  “How long did it take you to come up with that?” Kaito asked.

The pink-haired woman laughed.  “Just a few nights of work after Miku gave me the concept!” Luka said, trying to be modest in spite of the proud notes in her voice.

Rin grabbed her brother and skipped as she dragged him to the stage.  Where Miku seemed to be nervous about her performance, apparently at least one of the twins was far from it.  Rin always moved and spoke like she had endless waves of energy and joy.  Len seemed more cautious – maybe he was used to being the counterbalance to his boisterous sister.

_“Even when we are apart, we are still the opposite sides of a constellation soaring in the sky…”_

As the twins began their song, something about the way their voices blended together struck Kaito as unusual for a human.  He tried to listen more carefully…

_“Be it a boisterous day or a sorrowful night, we are still Gemini, attracting each other across the sky…”_

“They sing as one.”

Kaito glanced over and realized Luka had been speaking to him, very quietly.  “They possess a most beautiful harmony,” she enthused.

“Harmony…” Kaito repeated.

 _“Be it a numbing cold morning or a lethargic afternoon, we are still connected by this sound…_ ”

Amongst the Seruva, those who could unite their hearts and songs in perfect harmony could produce unfathomable magic.  But he’d never seen it performed and he gathered it was quite rare now.  Yet even the way the Kagamines danced appeared as though two souls were in perfect sync.  If humans could wield song magic… Rin and Len would be dangerous people indeed.

Kaito was still turning this thought over in his head as the twins finally finished their song.  “Wow, you two pretty much have that one down, huh?” Miku cheered, “Len, you were about ten seconds behind Rin at the end though.”

Kaito heard a few sour notes slip through Len’s response.  “It wasn’t a big deal…”

Finally Luka took to the stage and returned to her endless twirling.  Kaito sat mesmerized her graceful movements.  The way the woman glided across the pavement, it was as though she were, only for a moment, flying.

_“What do you think? If my former self could see me now, would she be proud?”_

Thoughts of flight still bothered him.  Permanently grounded for three days, Kaito still longed for the freedom of the sky. For just a moment, he tried to recall how it felt to leap from the ground and leave it behind…

“Kaito?”

He blinked as he realized Luka had long ago finished.  “S…sorry…” he apologized, “I was just… you were really good, Luka.”

She smiled proudly at him.  “I’m still a little dizzy though… but I’m glad you liked it.”

“Okay Kaito, so now you know what we do here…” Miku said, extending a hand to him, “If this is something you want to do, now’s the time to show your stuff.”

“Eh?!” He wasn’t used to being put on display so quickly.

“Come on Kaito, I’m sure you can do it!” Rin cheered, “I want to hear your voice!”

Kaito rose to his feet, walking forward.  Obviously whatever song he chose would be without accompaniment.  He turned to face the waiting eyes of Miku and her friends.  He wasn’t used to an audience… but if he couldn’t release himself through flight anymore, he did have one last solace open to him…

 _“Alone in the illustrious street, the time forgotten one leans against the crimson stained wall…_ ”

Kaito’s heart recalled a popular ballad amongst his people.  A remnant of the war that separated his race from the humans.  The irony of him singing a remembrance to the dead Seruva to the descendants of those who likely killed them wasn’t lost on him.

_“The sunset and the red moon raised sadly left forgotten by time, the night comes and goes…”_

A sad song about the sole survivor of a company of Seruva warriors who, lost in his own sorrow, fruitlessly waited for them at a wall until dying from heartbreak.  The loyalty of the warrior in the ballad pained him as Kaito remembered the man who taught him this ballad.  A dear friend he would never see again.

_“I’ve lost, seeking something very important: the reason that I am here…”_

‘Gakupo would have waited for me for the rest of his life…’ Kaito lamented, ‘I wish I could at least tell _him_ what happened… so he can move on.’

_“Without anyone noticing, forgotten by time, I wait for them…”_

As Kaito ceased his ballad, he let the melancholy of his thoughts leave him.  He looked to the faces of Miku and her friends.  The twins each looked surprised.  Miku had a knowing look on her face – of course she already knew what sort of singing voice he had.  What surprised Kaito was the hints of tears in Luka’s eyes, though she quickly moved to clear them from her eyes.

The four Vocaloids turned to each other, discussing something in low voices.  Kaito’s ear itched as he tried to detect what sort of tones he could make out, but the cacophony of voices was far too messy for him to work out.  Finally, they split up.  “Okay Kaito, you can join up…” Len said, trying to sound authoritative, “BUT!  You have to pass the initiation!”

“Initiation?” Kaito asked.  He hoped this wouldn’t be something painful…

“You have to come up with your reason to be a Vocaloid,” Miku explained, “Every one of us is singing here because we have something we intend to gain from it.  That’s why we work so hard.”

“ _Most_ of us,” Len teased.

As Kaito began to think of why he would be there, Luka interrupted his thoughts.  “We’re meeting for practice again tomorrow, but we’ll give you until next week, okay?”

A reason?  For him, right now it was to give him some sense of belonging in a foreign world.  Not that he could confess to that…

Miku grabbed her duffle bag.  “Okay, I think that’s it for today!  Let’s break!” she said.

The four friends placed their hands together.  “Vocaloids!” they shouted.

‘Humans are so… emotional.’

 

Miku continued to skip down the street with Kaito a decent pace behind her.  “Sorry I didn’t think to get you a song to work on,” she apologized, “But you did so well… is that a Selleba song?”

Kaito chuckled.  “Seruva,” he reminded her, “It’s a warrior’s ballad.  Most of us learn it at some point.”

“THERE YOU ARE!  Traitorous foe of the free press!”

Almost immediately, Miku found herself back in Gumi’s strong grip. “Whoa!  Let go of me!”

The green-haired reporter had Miku’s wrist in her hand, her angry glare actually managing to surpass Sweet Ann’s crooked smile for fear value.  For a few moments, Gumi just stared at Miku before letting out a sigh.

“Whatever, you’re boring now.”

She released the girl and soon her eyes were on Kaito, who took a few tentative steps backwards just from the force of the girl’s stance.  Before Miku could stop her, she saw Gumi whip out a piece of paper and thrust it into the blue-haired man’s hands. Gumi turned to Miku and gave her a copy of the same flyer.  Miku could barely make out the image of a man dressed like a samurai with glowing eyes, long purple hair, and what looked like… either dark wings or a dark cape.  At the top of the page were the words “WANTED: 4th District Shinigami!”

“Look, I’ll let you off the hook for your ‘cousin’ here if you tell me who this clown is!” Gumi said, “Guy’s been scaring the crap out of the drunks in 4th district for a week now.  Nobody wants to set foot near the Midori Street Shrine with this nut on the loose!”

Miku peeked over the top of the flyer and nearly shrank back at Gumi’s hungry look.  “Come on, it’s important!” she insisted, “What if he snaps and kills someone!?”

“I swear, Gumi, I really don’t know who this guy is…” Miku said honestly.

“It… it can’t be…” Kaito whispered.

Kaito’s mistake in vocalizing his concerns quickly became obvious as Gumi practically backed him into a wall despite him easily having ten centimeters on her in height.  “Finally!  So… friend of yours?  Or some kind of genetic rebel!  Or even… dare I hope… a Big Sweet conspirator?!”

Kaito tried to gather himself as the smaller woman pressed up against him.  “He’s a street performer!” Kaito gasped out.

Gumi fell back.  “Aw, come on!” she growled, “That can’t be all he is!”

‘Wow… go Kaito!’ Miku said, wanting to cheer for him.

The older man nodded his head.  “I… saw him on television… a few days ago…”

‘Wow!  He remembered what the TV does!’ Miku thought, beaming with pride.

Gumi continued to stare at him, as if hoping the intensity of her glare might further loosen Kaito's tongue.  She finally broke away from him.  “I better not find out you're lying to me, ‘cousin.’”  With that she stalked off and a few minutes later, the familiar buzz of the scooter indicated her departure.

Once Gumi was clear, Miku approached Kaito. Speaking in a quiet voice, she asked “Is that a Seruva?”

“That man… he was my bodyguard. But something's wrong… he didn’t look like this!”

Kaito looked pale, his hands creasing the flyer from his tight grip.  “Where is this place?”

“You want to go looking for him?!” Miku asked in surprise.

“He would do the same for me…”

Though Miku did not want to run headfirst into danger, she also didn't want Kaito chasing his friend down alone… “We should probably go down after dark… Less people.  They'll be at the bars.”

“Miku… You don't have to come with me…”

Miku tried her best super hero pose. “I told you… no matter what, I’ll always protect you!”

Kaito glanced back at the flyer with worry.  “I can’t imagine what he’s been through…”

 

As darkness fell, he remained entirely still, refusing to break out of his meditation.  For this night, none had disrupted his sanctuary, though he occasionally heard the sounds of human voices echoing around him.  He longed to cut down the vile creatures, but he remained steadfast.  His orders were ironclad.  Find Kaito.  Kill all who interfere.

At the heart of the discord, he finally heard the jagged whispers of what he sought.

“Kill the Imposter and you will find Kaito.”

Without questioning the discord, he rose to his feet, attempting to sift through the many melodies encircling his shrine.  Only two approached the shrine.  He readied his sword for blood.

“Find Kaito.  Kill all who interfere.”

 

The familiar silhouette of the old shrine rose over a rundown stone wall. Twenty years earlier, the shrine was constructed to bring spirituality to a young Tsubasa City, but after its priest died several years ago, the grounds laid empty.  Rumors of the grounds being haunted kept most people out.

‘Perfect for a Shinigami,’ Miku thought, gulping.

Kaito hadn’t told her that much about this “Gakupo” person she was searching for.  She guessed his emotions were in conflict.  Meeting his dear friend again meant being seen by someone he cared for without wings.  Kaito believed rejection was perfectly normal, but Miku couldn’t imagine sitting back and letting a loved one turn their back on Kaito after his suffering.  If this “Gakupo” person did that… well, Shinigami or not, she’d have her piece with him.

As the two passed under the arches and began to climb the steps into the shrine, Miku felt uneasy the deeper she went in.  She glanced over at Kaito, who seemed further and further unnerved.  At the top of the steps, he stopped walking entirely, giving the grounds a cursory search.  “Even _you_ can feel it, can’t you?” he finally said.

“Is this magic?” Miku asked nervously.

“Of a sort…” he explained, “The closer we’ve gotten to this district, the more intense the discord is…”

Kaito’s body seemed to tense up as he took a few steps into the grounds.  “Maybe it’s too quiet for you to _hear_ it, but whatever is causing it… we’re close.  This is the power of Noise…”

Before Kaito could elaborate, Miku heard the flapping of enormous wings behind her.  Instinctively she leapt through the air – just in time as she heard the violent sound of metal slamming into pavement.  She whirled around to the spot where she would have stood moments earlier to see a man with long purple hair and massive crow-like black wings lifting his sword back up.  As he raised his head so she could see his face, she gasped as he laid his wild red eyes on her, his face streaked with raised red markings, like face paint.  He wore odd white clothes, though they bore some resemblance to a traditional samurai’s hakama and jacket.

“YOKAI!” she shouted, jumping to her feet, rushing to Kaito’s side in fright.  This dangerous creature even had long, sharp purple talon-like fingernails, just like a tengu…

She looked to Kaito but while he had horror in his face, he didn’t seem _afraid_ of the yokai as Miku was.  “Gakupo…” he whispered.

“That tengu is Gakupo!?” Miku said in shock.

Upon hearing the name of Kaito’s friend, the “tengu” turned his gaze towards Kaito.  For a moment, he seemed to recognize him.  “Kaito?” he asked, his voice possessing a ghostly quality.

‘No wonder people thought he was a Shinigami!’ Miku thought to herself, her heart about to pound through her chest.

“Gakupo!” Kaito pleaded, “Please, tell me what happened to you!  I’ll find a way to change you back, I promise!”

The moment of recognition faded, replaced by anger.  “You!  _Val’Sharess_!  Kaito would never fall so far!”

“It wasn’t his fault!” Miku shouted.

Gakupo took on a sword stance, clearly unmoved by any further dialog.  “ _You_ are the Imposter I must slay!”

Without warning, the warrior charged forward with blinding speed.  Miku watched as Kaito rushed to put up another shield of light.  “Gakupo, no!  It’s really me!” Kaito protested, “Please, listen to my voice!”

If Miku thought Sweet Ann and Big Al could move quickly, Gakupo had them both beat.  Kaito was just _barely_ able to keep up with the hurricane of sword strikes aimed at him, any one of which looked powerful enough to take his head off.

“I followed the notes of discord to this sacred ground!” Gakupo shouted, “I’ve achieved enlightenment at the Shrine of Discord in order to complete my task!”

Miku continued to hear Kaito’s frustrated, short songs as he continued to repel the warrior.  She felt locked to the ground as she watched them, not sure how to break them apart.  She had no weapons of her own.  She wanted to run and hide, but not while Kaito was fighting for his life.

She saw a burst of light and Kaito leaping out of it.  He rushed to Miku’s side.  “You need to run!  I’ll… I’ll handle him myself… somehow!”

“I won’t abandon you!” she found herself saying.

Miku faintly heard Gakupo’s voice in song and too late realized as a Seruva himself, he could of course cast sound magic.  His strong notes were followed by a powerful shockwave, flinging Kaito and Miku far away. “Dark Notes… there’s Dark Notes here… somewhere…” Kaito groaned, trying to get back up.

“What are Dark Notes?!” Miku asked.

Before he could answer, Miku heard Kaito chanting as an arrow of light formed over him.  He flung it towards his friend, breaking another of Gakupo’s charges.  He pulled Miku to her feet and this time before Gakupo could stand and fight him again, Kaito had formed a thick, protective dome of light around himself and Miku.  ‘I see… he needed time for something like this…’ she thought to herself as she heard his complex melody. 

Gakupo began to fling himself against the barrier as Kaito kept his hands outstretched to maintain the barrier.  “The Dark Notes are the product of an evil force called the Noise…” Kaito explained, his teeth clenched, “You felt them trying to frighten you when we came to the shrine… and somehow, they’ve changed Gakupo in _this._ Something in this shrine is spreading them everywhere.”

“You think if we stop whatever is creating Dark Notes, we can save Gakupo!?” Miku exclaimed.

Kaito fell silent.  “I don’t know…” he said sadly, “But-“

Cracks began to form in Kaito’s barrier.  “He’s breaking through it!  Miku, I’m going to detonate this barrier and keep him distracted!  Please, find out where the Noise is coming from!”

As another loud cracking sound caused the barrier to shudder, Kaito’s song ended with a loud note and a blast of light and energy expanded around him.  “Miku, go!” he shouted.

As she heard Gakupo’s enraged battle songs begin again, Miku distanced herself from the warring Seruva and tried to determine where to even start looking for this “Noise generator.” The faster she found it… the faster she could save Kaito.  ‘What did Gakupo say?!’ she thought to herself, ‘He said something about a Shrine of Discord! Maybe it’s there?’

Miku looked around her and let out a frustrated growl.  “ARGH!  This IS a shrine!  That won’t help out in the slightest!”

She saw the battle moving closer to her as Kaito continued to lose ground against Gakupo’s fury. Her eyes scanned the grounds when they rested upon a hokora.  “A Shrine… ahhhh! He didn’t mean the building!”

Miku took off in a dead sprint towards the hokora.  As she got closer, even she became aware of the faint, discordant notes in the air, clawing away at her emotions and heart, trying to drive her back.  ‘I won’t let you do that!’ she thought, ‘I’m going to stop you!’

She searched the small structure for anything odd or out of place.  To her luck, she spotted a large, black mechanical box.  It appeared far more recent than the decaying hokora.  She wrenched the strange device free.  Just holding it in her hands made her feel sick – as if the wretched “Noise” Kaito told her about were trying to infest her own heart.  She tried to ward off the chaotic melody invading her mind as she looked for an off switch.  Yet the surface, aside from a speaker, remained smooth.  “Crap, this might be remote activated!” she grumbled, “Arrrrrgh!  You stupid thing, fine!  I’ll MAKE you turn off!”

Miku began slamming the box into the ground with all her force, denting the metal.  She felt the melody distorting, letting her know she was having some success.  Unfortunately, she hadn’t anticipated that her actions would _not_ go unnoticed by the person she was attempting to disrupt.  A shockwave came flying towards her and she clung to the box tightly as she flew backwards into a wall.

“MIKU!” she heard Kaito shout.

Miku saw the tengu fly towards her. One of Kaito’s shields began to form in front of her, but the warrior moved so quickly and with such force he shattered it.  Miku had nothing to defend herself with… except…

Before the warrior could impale her, Miku thrust the box in front of her body.  She felt the impact of the sword on the box in her arms, yet it stopped a fraction of an inch from her heart.  Gakupo yanked his sword back, only for the box to explode right in front of him, catching both of them in the small flames and debris…

 

Kaito immediately felt the melody cease in the wake of the explosion.  Miku had succeeded – she’d destroyed the source of the Dark Notes!  Now he only hoped Gakupo was well… he knew how dangerous Noise was, but he’d never encountered someone corrupted by it…

Kaito approached his friend carefully, watching Gakupo staggering around.  He still retained his “tengu” features. Kaito began to fear that perhaps the Dark Notes had permanently harmed him.  “Gakupo…. I promise you, I’m the real Kaito. I’ll save you from this horrible power, somehow.”

When Gakupo turned to him and Kaito still saw the glint of violence in his eyes, he tried to react as he saw the sword raising up again… only to hear a female voice before a burst of pink light entrapped Gakupo within a sparkling dome.

He knew this song… this was a binding song… but he wasn’t casting it.  More importantly… he knew this voice.  He’d heard it _today._

“Sem… sempai… why are you here?!”

Miku sounded disoriented from the explosion, but her eyes were on Kaito.  Or rather… _behind_ Kaito.  He slowly turned to see Megurine Luka, her lips motionless but her second voice still maintaining the incantation.  He heard Gakupo banging against the tiny field of light keeping him away from Kaito, but he was far more distracted by the realization that all this time, hiding amongst a crowd of humans…

… was someone like _him._

_Val’Sharess._

“Kaito…” she said softly, “You must cast the song of purification on him.  You’re the Spirit Caller, if it comes from you, it should work.”

He didn’t know if he could trust her – Luka had been concealing this from him so readily that surely she must have been a Severed criminal.  But… she was trying to protect him.  To save Gakupo…

“Luka… I never learned that song…” he admitted, “Do you know it?”

Luka looked quite surprised.  “Surely they should have taught it to _you_ of all people!” she shouted, “Then in that case… a quick lesson.”

Luka closed her eyes and a soft melody flowed from her lips.  The lyrics were in another tongue – the language of his people.  He heard Gakupo’s struggling against the barrier growing weaker as she sang for Kaito – even coming from Luka, it bore some effect on him.

The Seruva could quickly learn any song on only one performance.  Kaito committed the melody to memory and faced his friend.  He prayed that Luka was not misleading him, but he would try anything to save Gakupo from such a wretched fate.

Kaito’s second voice began to sing the same melody as Luka had.  He kept his eyes trained on Gakupo as the song continued, looking for any signs of him finally becoming the man he once was.  The first sign of success was the red markings vanishing from his face.  Kaito’s heart grew more hopeful and his melody far stronger at seeing this little success.  Soon Gakupo’s claws shrank into normal fingers again.  His eyes lost the violent red hue, returning to a soft blue.  Finally, his crow-like wings brightened to the purest white.

Gakupo began to collapse to the ground inside the barrier.  Kaito ceased his melody, rushing to his friend’s side as Luka’s barrier vanished.  Gakupo lay on the ground, unconscious but breathing steadily and looking surprisingly peaceful.  Not a trace remained of the 4th District Shinigami.

Kaito smiled in triumph.  He had won.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally feel back in my element writing all these fight scenes. See, I don’t always write Kaito as a fragile puppy ;) But oh wow, I’ve been anticipating Gakupo’s entrance into the narrative, and here he is folks.
> 
> So here’s a bunch of culture notes that I pulled from that might need some explanations.
> 
> In Japan, there is a great deal of superstition about the number 4 and death, hence when Gakupo showed up in a “4th District”, they might just think he’s a straight up death god.
> 
> A hokora is a small shrine. You’ll find them all over Japan – sometimes they’re in temples, sometimes they’re freestanding in gardens, streets, and other places. I deliberately used the Japanese word to cut down on the number of confusing sentences (i.e. “The small shrine in the shrine”), but even Miku had some trouble with that apparently ;)
> 
> “Yokai” covers a whole class of powerful demons and monsters in Japanese folklore. I tried to model “Shinigami” Gakupo after a tengu, a bird-like yokai with black wings and long claw-like fingernails. They also normally have super long noses or beaks, but I kinda thought he might look silly like that. But henceforth, I shall nickname him “Tengupo” ;)
> 
> Kaito’s fake backstory references actual places in Kyoto, Japan (even the high school is real!) The Minami-ku industrial ward is actually the home of Nintendo’s world headquarters. I worked out that the fictional Tsubasa City is off the coast from Nagoya, which is itself within an hour’s train ride of Kyoto. I suppose none of this is really necessary to understand the story, but when I set a story in a real world location, I like to get as accurate as I can.
> 
>  **Song Credits:** Miku performed Weekender Girl again (and mangled it). Luka performed Double Lariat (GOSH I WONDER WHY). Rin and Len performed Gemini. Kaito got coaxed into Time Forgotten One. Yet again, I make him sing a downer song.


	4. The Herald of Noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The memory addled warrior Gakupo joins the Vocaloids, refusing to abandon Kaito to an earthbound life while danger lurks in every corner for him. And that may not be such a bad idea, as another dark force emerges within Tsubasa City and begins turning people against each other! When Kaito and Miku find a woman calling herself a Herald of Noise, they find themselves in a dangerous fight to stop her from spreading her corruption further!

# 

Luka had her new “guest” spread out on his back along her spacious bed. She and Kaito had extended his wings across the mattress – though she hadn’t experienced it in years, no Seruva that ever suffered a wing cramp in the morning forgot that unique discomfort.  As she’d touched his soft feathers, melancholy stabbed at her heart.  She thought she’d been able to finally let go of her past and accept the false earthbound life thrust upon her.  But just the feeling of another Seruva’s wings in her hand threatened to wrench the emotions back out of her heart that she’d learned to suppress.

Had she ever once considered her wings something she could lose, she might have thought to cherish the gift of roaming the skies.

Furthermore, had she ever thought she’d be having to tell _Miku_ of all people about her past, she might have prepared her _before_ the poor girl found herself centimeters from being impaled by a Noise-addled Seruva warrior.

The car ride back to the apartment had been a flurry of questions Luka was still trying to prepare her answers to.  She’d not expected to run into Kaito when she was investigating the “4th District Shinigami.”  An oversight she should have anticipated – of course Gumi would have pumped him for information if she’d been sniffing around Miku.  And of course he would have easily pieced together that the “Shinigami” was a Seruva in search of his whereabouts.

Fortunately, it wasn’t difficult to redirect Kaito’s concerns to the state of his friend.  He’d hovered around this “Gakupo” person nearly constantly.  In spite of the man’s experience with being warped by Dark Notes, he appeared calm as he slumbered.  She hoped that meant he had no remaining side effects.  As for Miku… she simply appeared overwhelmed.  Not that Luka could blame her – once Miku told her the _truth_ about the last several days with Kaito, she found herself impressed by the girl’s fortitude.  Though Miku sustained injuries in the encounter, aside from her tousled hair and some scorch marks on her clothes, Kaito had performed a clean healing ballad on her and she showed no signs of further wounds.

Finally, Gakupo began to stir and Luka summoned up her patience and courage.  The man could have any number of possible reactions to his location, to the sight of “humans” in front of him, to recalling his possession to…

“HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

… bolting up screaming and swinging his arms as if he was still wielding his sword, sending poor Miku diving to the floor behind the foot of the bed.  Kaito and Luka jumped out of the way of his flapping wings.  After his shouting, he remained still a moment, his arms still extended, the only motion in the room being the settling of some of his molted feathers.

Finally, Gakupo lowered his hands, as if just noticing his lack of weapon.  He glanced around the room, his blue eyes stern as he appeared to note his surroundings.  “A human dwelling…” he murmured, “I’m surrounded by humans and…”

His eyes settled on Kaito.  “Kaito!  You’re safe!” Gakupo said, breaking into the first smile Luka had seen on his face.  The joyful notes in his voice indicated sincerity – at least he may truly have been a friend.

Kaito appeared unphased by the odd scene that unfolded in front of him.  Perhaps such outbursts were normal for this man. “Gakupo… I could say the same for you!” Kaito responded, smiling in turn, “I was worried about you!”

Gakupo let out a rich laugh.  “Me?!  What cause could you have for worrying about me!?  _You’re_ the one that sent everyone in the Islands into a panic by _vanishing_!”

‘What a strange man…’ Luka thought to herself, ‘He thinks all of this is funny?’

“So… you don’t remember anything?” Luka asked aloud.

Gakupo looked at Luka as if properly seeing her for the first time.  She wasn’t surprised by the suspicious look he shot her way – he was looking at a woman with no wings, an obvious sign he wasn’t among his own kind.  He stretched his neck to get a better look at Miku, who’d nervously poked her head up over the foot of the bed.  Clearly her first impression of Gakupo hadn’t left her yet.

At last, Gakupo returned his gaze to Kaito, finally noticing what Kaito had in common with everyone else in the room.  “Kaito… unless you’re hiding your wings…”

Kaito winced upon the inevitable question, sadly shaking his head.  Gakupo’s expression fell, as if in that moment all the energy he’d been projecting dissipated.  “I….I’m sorry…” he finally stammered.

“That’s… it?” Kaito asked, nervously, as if expecting Gakupo to say something worse.

Luka had to admit her own surprise at Gakupo’s rather muted reaction.  The warrior caste was built upon strict adherence to tradition. Being in the presence of a Val’Sharess should be _revolting_.  “To have the sky ripped from you…” he murmured, “I… I have truly failed in my duty to you.”

Deep in his voice, Luka read so many complex melodies in response to such a massive discovery, but all of them depicted a man in deep sorrow for someone close to him.

“You don’t hold me responsible _?_ ” Kaito’s nervous melody betrayed a fear Luka knew all too well – rejection. And why shouldn’t he fear it?  Even if his wings were stolen instead of Severed like hers, in practice the Seruva saw them as equivalently guilty.

“The Spirit Caller himself would never be Severed without my knowledge,” Gakupo reasoned, “I know you wouldn’t Sever yourself. And I doubt these two human women would given that they’ve made no moves to perform the same maneuver on _me_ after taking me to this…”

He seemed to be taking in Luka’s extremely feminine bedroom.  “…strange pink place.”

“Gakupo, these women are Hatsune Miku and Megurine Luka,” Kaito explained, though he looked a little embarrassed when he noticed Miku was still crouched on the floor.  “We both owe our lives to them.”

“Humans risked their lives for us?!” Gakupo exclaimed, dumb-founded, “Whatever for?!”

“Gakupo…. Perhaps now you can tell us how you…” Luka tried to squeeze in the most obvious question but failed when she .  “You… you’re _far_ too comfortable with all of this.  You’re… you’re no more a human that Kaito and I, are you?”

 “Sempai… now that Gakupo’s awake…” Miku said, finally secure enough in Gakupo’s presence to pull herself off the floor entirely into a standing position again, “You promised you’d tell us about… um… everything.”

‘This man is an expert in strategically changing the subject,’ Luka thought to herself in mild annoyance.  “There isn’t much to tell,” she said coolly, “I was Severed when I was thirteen years old for a crime I committed against the priest caste.  I’ve been living as a human ever since.”

“They Sever as young as that?! What crime could you have committed?!” Gakupo seemed to be having difficulty comprehending such an act.

For once, being erased from her tribe’s history was useful.  “Kidnapping,” she said plainly, “I attempted to remove a certain person from the tribe to prevent him from being hurt by the Elders.”

“…did you bring him _here?_ ” Kaito asked in astonishment.

Luka nodded in the affirmative.  Kaito’s eyes held nothing but sympathy for her, which only made Luka’s emotions harder to keep in check.  “What in the world could the Elders have done to him?” Kaito murmured, “I… they always have our welfare at heart but…”

Of course Kaito wouldn’t accept this easily.  His very status in the tribe required him to trust the Elders implicitly.  She thought she saw Gakupo roll his eyes at Kaito’s words, though he remained silent.  “Sempai… what happened to your friend?” Miku asked.

She stared at Kaito for a few long moments.  “We were separated after I brought him here.  I never found out what happened to him.”

Luka’s eyes turned to Miku, who had tears in her own.  “Miku... I apologize for keeping all of this from you for so long…”

“It’s okay, sempai.  It’s not like you thought I’d believe you…”

Such an unusual turn of phrase.  “Why would you have believed me?” Luka asked, “It’s quite improbable for you to accept your sempai is a member of a race of bird people.”

Miku’s muscles tensed up, as if there was something more she wanted to say but was losing the courage to get out.  Kaito watched her with a sad expression, but remained quiet.  Luka felt sorry for her, being pulled into such a dangerous life and learning her sempai had lied to her…

“So either he’s in hiding somewhere or he was Severed quietly,” Gakupo said bluntly.

Yet again, Gakupo wrenched away control of the conversation. “Kaito… I’m afraid that I must ask that you elaborate on your whereabouts in the last month.  I last saw you before your daily prayer vigil…”

Now it was Kaito’s turn to feel uncomfortable.  “Now I find victim to an unthinkable act,” Gakupo finished, “Please… tell me who inflicted this atrocity upon you so I may visit it upon them a thousand fold.”

The threatening tones in Gakupo’s voice made Miku audibly gulp, but Luka found herself feeling a sense of sympathy for him as she detected another melody.  A terribly familiar one.  Guilt.  ‘If he’s a true warrior, he must feel he’s failed Kaito for not having been able to prevent this,’ Luka thought to herself.

As Kaito grew tenser, Miku moved to explain.  “I found Kaito in the park… after those awful people took his wings off… he almost died…”

Luka’s stomach churned.  ‘So that explains the trip to the hospital…’ she thought to herself. The wavering notes in Miku’s voice only further indicated how much stress her dearest friend was under.

“They were humans, yes?” Gakupo asked.

Miku began to stammer.  “I… I don’t know what they were…” she confessed, “I thought they were human but… they were more like monsters!  Singing while trying to kill Kaito… They almost got us back at the wharf…”

“Miku!  You didn’t say anything!” Luka said with alarm.

“… she was protecting me.  At my request.”

Kaito had turned a few shades whiter and his tone felt shaky.  Luka’s heart began to break for him.  Had this poor man known nothing but misery and suffering?  “Gakupo, we were separated because I was chasing a spirit… my memories are a little hazy because I was interrupted by something during the last vigil I participated in.  I was in deep communion with a spirit… and I was wrenched out of my trance.  ”

As Kaito addressed him, Gakupo’s harsh expression again softened as he no doubt heard the same tragic melody Luka heard within Kaito’s voice.  “During a vigil… as expected. The only time I’m prevented from being near you…”

Miku held up a hand in confusion. “Wait… Kaito, you were chasing a spirit?”

“Kaito is the last Spirit Caller in our tribe,” Luka explained, “He has a very important job.  He can hear the voices of the Seruva who’ve passed on and project his own beyond the veil of life and death if he must.  Seruva society depends on Spirit Callers conducting regular vigils and rituals to pass on the ancestor’s wisdom and guidance to our tribal Elders so we never lose our way.”

“Spoken like a true priestess,” Gakupo murmured.

Kaito smiled softly at Miku, though sadness remained behind his eyes.  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Miku,” he said, “I just… even if I can’t be a Seruva anymore, I’d rather not tell their secrets.”

Gakupo clicked his tongue.  “Loyal to the last. So what happened to your spirit?”

The blue-haired man tightened his fists.  “Right… I chased it far away, across the Islands, all the way to the edge of our territory.  But… I didn’t find the spirit.  I found… humans.”

Luka didn’t realize how tightly she’d been gripping the arm of her chair until her knuckles grew numb.  She’d _never_ heard of humans crossing into the Islands before.  Flight wasn’t an obstacle, but who was advanced enough to break the magic barriers as well?

Kaito closed his eyes, and the frightened melody that followed the next part of his story revealed how difficult this was for him to say.  “Whoever they were, they were easily able to counter my magic and I… I was taken prisoner… I was flown to the Earth in one of those ‘airplanes’ humans use… I’m certain I was brought somewhere near this city.  Somewhere underground, where I couldn’t see or hear the sky.  And…”

Kaito was visibly shaking at this point. “They kept performing these horrible experiments and tests on me… and the worst of it was, I knew I wasn’t the only Seruva they’d done this to!”

Imagining Kaito in so much pain brought Luka to tears.  “But… I finally worked out a plan to escape… I used my concealment ballads to slip out, but… eventually I was caught as I began to fly away… and… they… they shot me down…”

Luka realized what he was about to say before he even said it from how tightly he was hugging his own arms.  She recognized that wretched melody from her own Severing.  “I was trying to perform the healing ballad to survive when those awful people found me and…”

Kaito looked like he was going to be sick.  “That’s more than enough, Kaito,” Gakupo said tenderly, “I take it after those events, this brave young lady took you to safety.”

He nodded.  “Miku… Miku is the only reason I survived…”

By this point Gakupo appeared guilty.  No doubt for having gotten Kaito to start reliving such traumatic events.  But now that both Luka and Kaito had revealed their secrets… there was one left.

“Gakupo… you need to tell us.  How did you come to be possessed by the Noise?”

“What in the world are you talking about?” Gakupo appeared genuinely confused.

“When Kaito and I found you, you were a tengu - a monster!” Miku explained, “You tried to kill me and Kaito on sight!”

Finally, a topic that shook up even Gakupo as he appeared entirely off guard.  “I don’t remember doing anything like that!” He finally looked to Kaito.  “Is this true?  Did I…?”

Kaito nodded again.  “You swore I was an imposter that you had to kill…” he explained, “Does that mean anything?”

Gakupo stared at his hands in horror.  “I… I don’t recall… anything…” he said, “To be truthful… I’m beginning to realize I… I don’t even remember leaving the Islands and coming here…”

“You don’t even remember hanging around that Noise generator!?” Miku asked.

Another shake of the warrior’s head.  “To think, I was so easily twisted… my intentions to save you nearly turned to your death… and I with no remembrance of the cause!”

Kaito gently rested a hand on his friend’s shoulder.  “Gakupo… it’s fine.  You really weren’t yourself, but… thanks to Luka, I was able to turn you back.”

Gakupo bowed his head to her in gratitude.  “Well then, you’ve already proven your loyalties, my lady, he said.

“Ummm… Gakupo?  Sir?” Miku asked.

“Gakupo…” Luka asked calmly, “What are you going to do now?”

Gakupo put his curled fist under his chin.  “A good question,” he said, returning to his more assured personality, “Well I can’t very well take Kaito back like this. But I can’t just abandon him. Not when there’s clearly people roaming this city with the intent to kill him or torture him.”

Kaito got quiet again.  “Gakupo… you don’t have to stay here… if you went home and told them what happened to me… they probably won’t even Sever you.”

It broke her heart to see the look of shame and disgrace in Kaito’s eyes.  She knew it all too well.  Even if he hadn’t suffered the psychological torture she had from a true Severing ritual… even to be seen without wings by a loved one was horrifying.

Which made Gakupo’s laughter all the more infuriating.  “Why would I do something like that?!” he said, “I’ve yet to mete out vengeance upon the accursed villains who wounded my charge!”

“Ummm… how’s that going to work, exactly?” Miku asked, “Gakupo… you’re not going to cut your wings off and pass yourself off as a human too, are you?”

Another round of what was becoming truly obnoxious laughter.  “Why would I do something like that?” he said to Miku, “Of course I’m a trained song mage!  Watch!”

Luka heard his second voice chant a short melody and his wings began to vanish behind him.  Miku looked on in awe, running over to Gakupo and putting her hands behind his back to try and see if he’d merely hidden them.  “That’s amazing!” she said as she waved her hands around, touching nothing as the spell was intended to do.

“Seruva would make lousy spies if we couldn’t effectively conceal our most... _obvious_ feature.”

With another chant, his wings returned again.  Clearly, the man liked the attention he was getting – it’s not like Miku knew that a simple wing concealment spell was something her people taught to eight year olds.  Now Miku had a hand on her chin.  “Well, I mean it’s fine if you stick around of course, but I don’t know where I’d put you… Kaito’s already got the couch…”

“I’ll take care of him,” Luka found herself saying.

“You’d be willing to do that for him, Luka?!” Kaito asked, a smile on his face.

Even if Gakupo was annoying… he was also being exceptionally kind.  Luka had fully expected him to immediately abandon Kaito, but instead he showed him nothing but sympathy and loyalty.  Having someone he knew and trusted supporting him as he transitioned into the false human life of a Val’Sharess would grant Kaito a peace Luka had been deprived of.

Besides, she reasoned, the aid of a trained warrior would come in handy so long as Kaito was going to be such a trouble magnet.

“Besides, it’s not like Miku has a bed big enough for his wings anyway,” Luka said cheerfully, trying to raise the mood.

At _that_ suggestion, Gakupo balked.  “Now see here, I appreciate your hospitality, but it’s unbecoming of me to take my hostesses’ bed from her!”

“You’ll give yourself a wing cramp if you try to use my couch,” she said in a mock scolding tone, “You won’t do Kaito any good if you go dropping out of the sky when your right wing seizes up on you.”

While Gakupo clearly seemed annoyed with the state of affairs, he offered no further disagreements. Miku stifled a yawn, clearly fighting to stay awake.  “Miku… I imagine you and Kaito are already quite worn out from your ‘adventure’ tonight,” she said, “Why don’t we regroup in the morning?  After I’ve gotten Gakupo settled?”

“Yea… I’ve had enough yokai and Shinigami and secrets for one night…” Miku replied, “I just hope this is the last of it!”

Kaito seemed loathe to part with Gakupo so quickly after meeting him again. “Gakupo… we’ve much to catch up on,” Kaito said.

“Indeed… I’m quite curious to know how you’ve handled being ‘human.’” Whenever Gakupo addressed Kaito, Luka always noticed his voice had a far more sincere tone. 

Before Miku left the bedroom, she turned to Gakupo with a sly look in her eyes.  “Hey… just one more thing… does he like to _sing?_ Because we sure could use one more guy in Vocaloids…”

 

“So, let me get this straight!”

Len was looking at Miku and Kaito with a suspicious look and a disbelieving tone in his voice.  “RIGHT after Kaito found Miku again, from Kyoto, when he needed a place to stay…”

He rolled his head to Luka and Gakupo.  “One of his FRIENDS shows up and he _just so happens_ to be staying with Luka!?”

‘I knew we should have spent more time on this storyline…’ Miku thought to herself.

Gakupo nodded his head with confidence, in spite of the obvious lack of confidence his cohorts felt.  “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” he said.

Luka had managed to take him shopping earlier in the morning, picking up a snappy black button down shirt and brown slacks.  The more fashion conscious girl had naturally ensured her new “guest” would have some of her sense of style.  She felt somewhat guilty for having given Kaito a long coat in the middle of summer, though he’d seemed rather attached to it now.

Len looked over at Miku.  “You sure must be desperate to get more guys in the group…” he teased.

Rin seemed to be staring at the taller man with a mixture of awe and fear.  She didn’t seem to know what to make of the new guy.  “Do you not believe me capable of song?” Gakupo asked.

‘He’s worse than Kaito…’ Miku thought to herself as she heard his odd speech.

“I… I wouldn’t mind… hearing him sing…” Rin stammered.

Sometimes she could be _very_ shy around new people, but this was a bit much.  Was it because he was so much _taller_ than the petite teenager?

Gakupo took a few steps forward in the amphitheater, turning to face the group.

_“I harbor a longing for the Sun, but even if I try spreading my wings in the empty skies..._

Miku had to admit, he did have a pleasant voice.  She glanced at Luka, who she noticed was starting to doodle in her notebook.  ‘Uh oh…’ Miku thought, ‘She’s already inspired…’

_“The remote paradise I can't reach is vanishing along with my dreams...”_

He certainly had a more _powerful_ voice than Len or Kaito.  She guessed he was singing some Seruva ballad he knew well, much as Kaito had.  Looking over to Rin, the girl seemed enamored of his voice enough that she wasn’t completely frightened of him at least.

_“The stir of the wind rising above all now is just in vain...”_

Len was nodding his head – clearly he’d come to the conclusions Miku had.  Adding Gakupo, plus Kaito, gave them a lot more variety in their male vocalists – let alone what they could pull off if they teamed up in a group.  She doubted there would be any resistance from the twins about including him based on talent.  Now… personality…

_“Even if you cut off my wings, ah, some day, towards the skies...”_

As Gakupo finished his audition, Rin suddenly noticed his eyes on her and squeaked.  ‘I guess we should be glad neither of them saw him as a “Shinigami”…’ Miku thought to herself.

Rin grabbed her brother and the two began to speak in hushed tones.  Finally they turned back to the others.  “Obviously Miku and Luka already made their votes,” Len said.

“And Kaito’s still not passed his initiation yet!” Rin added, looking over to Kaito.

“So… it was up to us!” Len continued, “All right, Gakupo, you’re in… AFTER you pass the initiation!”

Gakupo pounded one of his fists into his open palm.  “A challenge!?” he shouted, “I’m always ready for a feat of strength!”

“Not like that, Gakupo…” Luka explained, waving her hand, “You and Kaito both need to give a reason why you want to be a Vocaloid.”

Gakupo laughed.  “What, that’s it?” he said, “I’m doing this because Kaito is!”

Len wasn’t having any of that. “That’s not a reason!  You gotta come up with one for YOURSELF!” he said.

“Yea…” Rin said, though she clammed up the second Gakupo looked in her direction.

“Look, you get till next weekend just like Kaito… okay?” Len finished.

As Gakupo took a seat, Miku’s cheeks felt hot as Gakupo’s proclamation stirred through her mind… though she couldn’t quite explain why.

 

_“Sunk into a sea of grief, it's a bother to even open my eyes, and thus I'll be, endlessly falling - but won't anyone find me?”_

As Kaito quietly observed the others practicing, he tried to reflect on the whirlwind of the last twenty four hours.  Just as his life seemed to be moving towards some kind of simple calm, the arrival of one of his own kind and the revelation of Luka’s true past created quite the disruption.

He was grateful to have Gakupo back, and the two had barely separated on the way to practice as they conversed as if no time had passed.  Just having Gakupo’s energy and reassurances made the difficulties Kaito faced feel far more surmountable.  Yet Kaito also detected in Gakupo’s behavior that the Seruva warrior was still upset by something.  ‘No doubt he’s concerned about the Dark Notes…’ Kaito thought to himself.

_“And again the light poured down, and dazzled, we met eyes, you who noticed and looked back toward me, and I, the liar...”_

All Kaito really knew about the Noise was to be wary of the chaotic melody that clued him in to its corrupting power.  It was a powerful remnant of the war that shattered his people, and an endless threat that all Seruva knew could wipe out all life in place where it spread.  Surely Gakupo would have been aware of the stories as well – to think that such a power had twisted him so was no doubt frightening even to the seemingly unflappable warrior.

And to think that this legendary evil was in a _human_ city, being created by _human_ technology…

_“Leave this sea, and now, fly away...”_

As the practice session broke up with Miku’s final song and that familiar chant, Kaito began to approach Miku and Gakupo when the familiar sound of Gumi’s scooter revved through the park.  Miku grabbed Kaito by the wrist and started dragging him away.  “I am NOT getting cornered by that crazy woman again!” she shouted.

“HEY!  YOU!”

“ACK! Kaito, just run!”

Kaito turned his head and saw Gumi had decided to corner… Gakupo.  He wanted to do something to break them apart, but Miku was dragging him too fast. He could only watch as Gakupo stared at the far smaller woman in stunned surprise as she marched over to him, waving her fists.

“At last we meet, ‘4th District Shinigami’!”

“What?!  Unhand my wrist!”

Once Miku and Kaito were clear of the park, he heard the girl let out a sigh.  “I feel bad making poor Gakupo take that bullet for us…” she muttered.

Kaito tried not to worry, as Gakupo had always been a smoother talker than he.  “I… I think he can handle Gumi…”

“Gakupo’s kind of an oddball,” Miku said, “But he’s a pretty good guy.  Nice voice too… I guess he couldn’t have dropped in on us at a better time!”

Miku looked to Kaito.  “Hey, you wanna go to the ice cream parlor again? There’s nothing else to do today!”

Just hearing the words ‘ice cream’ lightened Kaito’s spirit.  “Of course!” he said, “And we should bring some back for Gakupo… he’s going to be so surprised to try it!”

 

Miku giggled at Kaito’s excitement – such an otherwise serious person having such a childish love for ice cream was kind of adorable.  Miku thought about offering to text Luka and Gakupo, but she had to admit – she wanted to just spend some time with Kaito, one on one.  The last several days of having someone like Kaito so close to her and sharing so many secrets had an excitement of its own.

Yet she conceded that it would be rude to split the two of them up given how close they were and how much trouble she and Kaito had gone through to rescue Gakupo.   Finally she let out a breath and started texting Luka anyway as the two made their way to the bus station…

 

While the Kagamine twins seemed dumb-founded to see Gakupo so thoroughly cowed, Luka was trying to stop from laughing at seeing a “mighty Seruva warrior” being pinned by the might of Megpoid Gumi.  Obviously he didn’t intend to injure a teenage girl, which only gave Gumi a bigger advantage over him.  “What manner of interrogation is this?!” he shouted in confusion.

Gumi shoved her smart phone in Gakupo’s face. From his suddenly darker expression, Luka realized what pictures Gumi was showed him.  Since Gakupo couldn’t remember anything, he had no idea what he’d looked like in his _other_ form.

“Come on, you were threatening to chop off the head of every drunk on the strip!” Gumi continued, “What are you, a hired assassin!?  Who put you up to it!?”

Gakupo’s words seemed to be failing him – how could he explain an event he couldn’t recall? Luka was about to intervene on his behalf when Len and Rin grabbed Gumi’s arms and yanked her away from him.  “Hey, hey, HEY!  How DARE you suppress the freedom of the press!?”

“You’re the one interrupting one of our rehearsals!” Len yelled.

“Yea…yea!  Gakupo’s a Vocaloid, he’s one of us!” Rin chimed in.

Gumi whirled around and took a good look at the twins.  Luka suddenly felt a lot less humored when she caught a familiar glint in the green-haired girl’s eye.  For a moment, she was glad Gumi had no idea who Luka really was…

“Waiiiiit… you two!  You’re the Kagamines!” she said, “I see… so is this Mirror corporate propaganda?!”

She jammed her smart phone in Len’s confused face, the record function active.  “Give it up! This whole thing’s a big conspiracy for the Hearts, isn’t it!?”

“In a PUBLIC PARK!?” Len shouted.

“You know, there’s been all kinds of crazy stuff going on in Tsubasa City the last few weeks!” Gumi continued, shifting her glare to Rin, “It’s got the fingerprints of your folks all over it… and the people deserve to know the truth!  Bodies in parks, the wharf gettin’ worked over by ‘Big Sweet’, shinigamis… come on! You and your folks are in it neck deep!”

Rin looked ready to cry, which only further triggered Len’s protectiveness.  “We don’t talk to our parents anymore!” Len shouted, “It’s none of my business what they’re up to!”

“That’s quite enough…” Gakupo finally interjected.

Hearing his voice again pulled Gumi off of the twins.  “So… ready to fess up, Shinigami!?” she said.

The purple haired man nodded, looking somewhat ashamed, but Luka had already caught the telltale deceptive notes in his voice.  “In actuality… ah, I’m just a street performer. I was trying out a new act at the shrine and things got a little out of hand.”

“WHAT?!” Gumi blurted, “You expect me to believe that?!”

This time she produced one of her flyers clearly depicting Gakupo.  “Those… those are WINGS!  And a freaking sword!”

“Ummm…. Gakupo doesn’t have wings…” Rin interrupted.

Luka took the flyer from Gakupo and clicked her tongue.  “Gakupo, those cardboard wings are about to fall off!”

Playing along with Gakupo’s ruse was oddly fun for Luka.  “I lost them last night, actually!” Gakupo groaned in mock annoyance, but she could hear the light notes of amusement in his melody, “Some idiot with a scarf knocked them off instead of tipping me!”

Luka checked her phone and saw a text pop up from Miku.  “Gakupo, don’t we have an appointment?” Luka said, “For goodness sake, the fabric for your new ‘wings’ will take forever!”

“Yea, Rin and I have to cram for finals!” Len said, clearly happy to get away from the nosy “citizen reporter.”

“Remember Gakupo!” Rin shouted as she and Len started to run, “You have to have your reason by SATURDAY!”

“AAAARRRRGH!” Gumi shrieked to the sky, “Why are all my leads turning into GARBAAAAAGE?!”

 

As Kaito wandered up to the strip mall on the wharf with Miku, he kept a careful eye out in case of a return of Big Al and Sweet Ann.  Not a soul seemed disturbed, however, and that pair could hardly blend in with a crowd.  He grimaced as he and Miku passed by the area they’d fought, covered in construction tape.

Kaito’s face turned to a broad smile as he spotted the familiar site of the ice cream parlor.  He was already imagining the wonderful taste of frozen strawberries.  “Hmmm… I should probably get the Loveliness Lichi…” Miku said to herself.

However, as Kaito and Miku moved along the sidewalk, Kaito began to notice an uneasy current in the melodies of the strangers around him.  Whereas a few days earlier, they’d sounded happy and light… now they sounded angry and distressed.

“Oh god, you bought THAT skirt!?  What’s wrong with you!?” Two bickering teenage girls.

“How can I possibly run a household when you waste money like that?!” A husband and wife.

“How many secrets are you keeping from me!?  How can I possibly trust you!?” A woman and her boyfriend.

He took a worried glance to Miku. She looked positively furious as she stared at her phone!  “I don’t see why it should take Luka so long to send a text!” she grumbled, “Gakupo’s not THAT big of a distraction!”

Kaito closed his eyes and stopped walking, trying to filter out the human’s voices and determine their melodies. That’s when he recognized the uneven, pulsing discord weaving in and out of every melody around him.  _He knew this song._

“Kaito!  Stop flying off into your own little world!” Miku shouted.

He opened his eyes and stared at Miku.  The bubbly girl was positively livid.  ‘Is this what Noise can do to humans?’

“Miku…” Kaito said firmly, “Don’t you hear it?”

“Hear what?!” she shouted in annoyance.

He felt his patience being tried, but took a deep breath to center himself.  Once he’d warded off the Dark Notes trying to grasp his heart, he gripped Miku’s hands tightly.  “HEY!  What gives?!” Miku prostested, but Kaito refused to let go as he sang the first few notes of the same song he’d wielded to save Gakupo. As he did so, he felt the retreat of the Noise from his mind.

Apparently it worked for Miku as well, because now she looked positively horrified at her behavior.  “Kaito!  Oh my god, I’m so sorry…”

Though Kaito no longer felt the Dark Notes trying to lure him, he could still feel the oppressive power of the Noise reverberating throughout the strip.  “Miku… it’s not your fault...” Kaito reassured her. “Listen closely, there’s Dark Notes here.”

Miku’s eyes widened with recognition.  “I heard this at the shrine!” she shouted, “But… but at the shrine it kept making me feel scared…”

“Maybe the effects aren’t consistent…” Kaito said, “We have to find out where these Dark Notes are coming from!  Maybe there’s another device like the one that was controlling Gakupo!”

For a moment, the image of the cheerful, brave Gakupo consumed by the rage of the Noise flashed into Kaito’s head.  What if there was another Seruva trapped nearby!?  “I’ll tell Luka…” Miku said, her phone already out, “Hey, maybe if this Noise was here the other day… it would explain why our friends treated you so rough!”

“Possibly…” Kaito said, “AH! I remember very faintly hearing Dark Notes when we were on the patio.  I just didn’t recognize them at the time!”

Miku looked to the ice cream shop.  “There’s supply tunnels underneath the shops out here. Maybe it’s in one of those!?”

The pair rushed through the sea of irritable people, Kaito allowing the discord to lead him to its source. He came to a stop in front of a store front, where the chaos seemed to practically beg him to enter.  “That's a liquor importer...” Miku said, “It’s in here?”

Kaito looked towards his feet. “Underneath,” he said, “How do we get down?”

“We do that thing you do to hide us and go into the back!” Miku said.

Kaito and Miku made their way to a secluded area – not difficult given the discord as the effects of the Noise seemed to prevent others from noticing them.  He began the ballad of concealment and bent the notes around himself and Miku.  “Don’t forget to stay close…” Kaito said quietly, “And don’t make any noise to draw attention to yourself.”

Miku nodded obediently, checking her phone.  “Luka and Gakupo are coming…” she said.

“They can catch up to us…” Kaito replied.

He clutched Miku’s hand tightly as they searched the store a way down.  Finding an open door with a flight of stairs behind the cashier table, Miku and Kaito carefully slipped past as the clerk and the manager were embroiled in an argument over some no doubt minor issue.

As he and Miku made their way downstairs, he recognized the oppressive weight of the Dark Notes as he had the previous evening.  The source had to be close by.  He released his ballad.  “Okay… Miku, what did that Noise generator look like?”

“It looks like a black box!” Miku said, “It didn’t have any kind of switch so… I just kept smashing it until I got Gakupo to impale it.”

Kaito saw walls upon walls of casks and crates of alcohol.  He and Miku split up as they scanned the shelves and boxes for the tiny Noise generator hidden somewhere within.  As he moved towards the back, he noticed a door that appeared to have been forced open recently by some great force. ‘They were here…’ he thought to himself with annoyance, ’Maybe they weren’t looking for me at all then… they just _stumbled_ onto me… would explain why they just _left_ …’

He tried to push his memories of that awful moment out of his mind.  He finally became aware of another person behind him as he heard the first notes of a Seruva battle chant.  Kaito quickly erected a barrier around himself as he watched a bottle of fine sake smash against the sides.

“Kaito!?  Are you okay?!” Miku cried out.

Kaito was face to face with a woman with long white hair and red eyes.  Her knee-length tresses were tied into a ponytail with a black ribbon.  Despite wearing modern human clothes of a revealing grey vest, purple tie, and black pants, her extended black wings gave away her true origins.  Yet in spite of her uneasy swagger and apparently dizzy face, he could feel the power of Dark Notes radiating out of her. 

“You… how dare you disturb… the sanctuary of the Herald of Noise!”

There was something uneven about her voice, as if she was having trouble focusing.  Kaito hoped that meant he’d get a word in, but she seemed to grow more irritable.  “I am Haku!  This place is mine!  And I will punish all trespassers!”

 

Miku wanted to rush over to Kaito as soon as she heard the first notes of the battle chant, but a sudden shockwave sent showers of glass and liquid across the room.  She ducked down for safety, barely avoiding any cuts.  “Kaito!  Try that song, like on Gakupo!” she shouted.

Kaito attempted the melody, but Haku appeared unphased. “It’s not working!” he shouted, “The Dark Notes are too powerful right now! We need to destroy the Noise generator!”

Miku tried to pull back her raging emotions – she reminded herself that the Dark Notes were affecting her.  Right now… she had one thing she could do to protect Kaito.  But that was easier said than done – the cellar was far smaller than the gardens of the shrine, and the battle was getting incredibly fierce as Kaito battled the self-proclaimed Herald of Noise all through the rows of booze.

Haku began singing an uneasy melody that Miku could just barely hear and suddenly black, oozing blobs began to rise from the puddles of alcohol.  Miku’s skin crawled as they gained glowing red eyes and started to squirm along the floor in her direction.  “Hey… hey!  Get back!” she shouted, trying to crawl away from them as she searched the basement for the Noise generator.

As Miku continued to run from the goo creatures, she finally noticed one of the large wine barrels looked off.  Like someone had hastily jammed the lid back on.  As she approached, she felt a familiar sensation, like her heart was about to be overwhelmed by a terrible emotion.  She tried to pry the barrel lid open, but she had little success.  “Kaito!  I can’t open it, but it’s in here!”

As the battle between Kaito and Haku raged, he seemed to finally get enough of a gap to hurl a light arrow through the air and shatter the barrel entirely.  From the debris, a small black box clunked to the ground.

Miku nearly fell over as she felt one of the goo creatures wrap around her ankles.  “Back back back!” she shouted, trying to pull herself forward. She continued to yank herself forward and just barely wrapped her hands around the Noise generator.  Just touching it filled her with indescribable anger… which at the moment, was exactly what she needed.  She began smashing the box into the wall with all her might, hoping to turn the power of the Dark Notes against it.  She finally saw sparks fly out of it and the melody wrenching itself around her heart finally ceased.  She felt her ankles released as the goo creatures disappeared in puffs of smoke.

 

Haku’s assault on Kaito ceased as she screamed.  He felt the power of the Dark Notes weakening around him before vanishing within the air. “It’s okay…” he said gently, “I’m going to help you…”

“You… you can’t… save me…” Haku said, her voice slurring as she stumbled around weakly.

As he saw Haku prepare another ballad, he began his own, finishing the melody faster.  He tried to focus just as he had when he purged the Noise from Gakupo. As Haku’s wings began to turn from black to white, Kaito felt elated at first.  He’d saved another soul!  But then… as he felt the Noise begin to fade, a resigned peace came over Haku. Her body began to glow with a heavenly white light.  Kaito stopped the ballad entirely as her body began to vanish before his eyes.  “No!” he shouted, “Haku!  What’s happening?!”

“Seal of the Seruva… you free me… at the cost of quickening your own destruction…” she whispered.

In spite of Haku’s cryptic words, for the first time she sounded sane.  She provided no further answers as her body was consumed by the light.  The last thing Kaito could see of her was a soft smile on her face.

He collapsed to the floor.  What had he just done?

 

Miku approached Kaito.  He looked broken – whatever had just happened to Haku, he felt responsible.  As if he’d killed her.  “Kaito… what happened to Haku?”

He shook his head softly.  “I… I don’t know…” he said, his voice wavering.

“Kaito!  Miku!  Where are you?!”

“Luka!  We’re over here!” Miku called out.

A few moments later she saw the familiar forms of Luka and Gakupo rushing down the basement.  To Miku’s shock, Gakupo even had his weapon on him and drawn, though the quiet in the basement after Haku’s disappearance seemed to have assured him there was no need to use it.

‘Where did he find space to shove that sword!?’ Miku thought, wondering if it was another “magic trick.”

As the warrior surveyed the shattered shelves and bottles, all dripping with spilled alcohol, he looked disappointed.  “I’m sorry I missed a fine battle,” he said, though as he caught sight of Kaito, his expression grew more serious.  “Kaito!  What happened?”

He rushed to the crestfallen man’s side.  “We fought another Seruva… like you…” Kaito whispered, “But… when I used the ballad… she… she vanished…”

“I’m sure it’s not nearly as dire as you think…” the warrior assured him, “Perhaps she was just a lost spirit?”

Gakupo helped Kaito to his feet again.  “We probably shouldn’t dawdle here,” he said, “I somehow doubt a human shopkeeper would be happy to find the lot of us down here with broken merchandise.”

Luka nodded her assent.  “We’ll just sneak out the way we snuck in,” she said.

Miku wanted to comfort Kaito somehow… he looked so sad.  But she had no words.  She knew so little about what had happened.  How was it that all of a sudden she felt so helpless around him?

… and why did Gakupo being so _close_ to him stir up such strong emotions in her heart?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  **A/N:**
> 
>  
> 
> Well THAT escalated quickly!
> 
> Gakupo.  I missed writing you so much.  My core cast had this gaping hole in it and now you’re back.
> 
> Ah, Kaito, even when you win you lose :(  Why do I hurt you so?
> 
> Oh my god, have I wanted to make Gakupo and Gumi meet from the word “go.”  My last fic had this fantastic scene with a far more serious Gakupo playing off a much more prankster-like Gumi, and I loved it so much. Even though their roles and personalities are a bit different here, I still wanted that sense that Gumi can basically disarm Gakupo through her sheer… Guminess.
> 
>  **Song Credits** : Gakupo sang “[Uranus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mk1t7JF1Xc)”, a song he actually sings mostly in English!  Pretty impressive given he has no English voice bank.  The translation is courtesy of Gakupo superfan Narumo, aka LuckyCarrot here on AO3.  Miku was performing [Deep Sea Girl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiP2ajV0-Dc).


	5. NegaPosi*Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito and Gakupo seem to be adjusting to human life – now if only they can pass their Vocaloid initiation! A day at an arcade seems to be helping the new members bond with the old ones… Though some appear to be bonding more than most. Kaito seeks a new purpose, in life… and Miku is starting to get worried about what Gakupo is seeking.

The warm July sun shone over the amphitheater of Shirasagi Park as Kaito sat on one of the benches, a spoon in a cup of ice cream. Gakupo seemed less interested in his – to Kaito’s great surprise.  He understood that the warrior never had nearly his own love for sweet foods and treats, but surely something as amazing as ice cream should have been _different_?

It had been three days since the confrontation at the wharf with Haku.  Though Kaito still felt nervous about how it ended, he’d come to accept Luka and Gakupo’s reassurances that he had not killed her.  Still, the words she left behind remained a source of confusion.

‘Seal of the Seruva…’ he thought to himself, ‘I’ve never even heard of that term.  I’m a Spirit Caller…’

Not that the spirits spoke to him anymore…

As the time dragged on, he began to assume they’d abandoned him entirely for his weaknesses.  Yet now he’d beaten back two incursions of Noise into reality. His memories of the spirit he’d pursued that led him to being captured were hazy… but perhaps he was meant to come to Earth and stop this threat.  As horrifying as his experiences were at the hands of humanity… he was glad to make such sacrifices and more for the sake of his people, even when he could no longer count himself among their number.

Kaito’s spoon dragged at the bottom of the cup and he realized he’d run out.  Before he could say anything, Gakupo handed over his half-eaten cup of ice cream and smiled.  “You may have the rest of mine,” he said.

Kaito laughed, embarrassed that he was so obvious without even having spoken.  As Kaito dug into the ice cream cup, Gakupo stood up and drew his sword, Miburi, from the magical sheath he kept at his side.  “Gakupo… is it safe to practice swordplay _here?_ ” Kaito said nervously.

“I am using the utmost caution!” he protested as he began to fence with an imaginary opponent, “Practice is paramount.  The foe could strike at any moment… and Luka told me not to use my weapons in the house…”

As he advanced on his “foe”, he added “Besides, those ‘samurai’ films running on the television were quite inspiring… I’d no idea humans once revered a warrior caste of their own!”

Kaito was surprised how well Gakupo was playing along at being human.  For his friend, it was entirely a choice. At any time, the warrior could simply return home, tell a white lie, and go back to being a Seruva.

“So this business of ‘reasons’… they seem to take it quite seriously, don’t they?!” Gakupo shouted, trying to keep their conversation going.

Only Gakupo would try to have a conversation while miming chopping a man’s head off.  “Apparently Miku started it,” Kaito explained, “I asked her a little about it, but it’s a practice all four of them started when they formed the troupe.  They vowed that when they recruited new members, we’d have to engage in it as well.”

“So you’ve had a little more time than I… any progress?” Gakupo fired back.

Kaito took a moment of thought as he swallowed another spoonful of ice cream.  “I guess right now… I just did it because I don’t know what else to do,” he admitted, “I knew it would help Miku out.  She’s already done so much for me.  And it gave me the chance to make some human friends, so why wouldn’t I?  But I suspect it’s not what she wants to hear.”

He hated to admit to himself, but being a Spirit Caller wasn’t a terribly easy life.  Ever since he’d stepped into the position at the age of thirteen, his life was to be nothing but pure devotion to his prayers and vigils.  That meant no time playing or engaging with anyone that could distract him from his duty.  Though he’d once had Meiko to count on, her rapid ascension to power quickly tore that bond apart.  No doubt if they’d realized how friendly and informal he and Gakupo had gotten, they’d have reassigned Gakupo at once and given him another guard that respected duty first.

“…. I shouldn’t like this as much as I do,” Kaito said guiltily.

“Oh ho?” Gakupo said, “What makes you say that?”

Kaito tried to pick the safest answer.  “My entire life was planned out for me by others.  It had to be of course – I’m the _last_ Spirit Caller.  They were probably working out who I was going to marry and when just to keep the bloodline going.  Now… I don’t know what I’m going to do, but… at least every choice I make from now on is mine.”

The warrior smirked as he swung his sword in an impressive sweep.  “It’s understandable.  You’ve lost your home and your wings, but gained a degree of freedom.”

That was an unusual way of putting it.  ‘It’s not inaccurate either though,’ Kaito reasoned.  Gakupo always had a knack for cutting to the meat of his dilemmas.

Kaito watched Gakupo for a few more minutes as he polished off the rest of his ice cream.  His friend had always been quite unusual – a member of the warrior caste since he was old enough to pick up a sword, yet in spite of his firm dedication to his orders to protect Kaito, he was also a man that loved to sing for the fun of it and occasionally spend time romancing many a lovely Seruva that caught his eye.  Kaito himself had no such great experiences. Where Gakupo's relationships were transient due to the nature of his job, at least he’d had them. Naturally, if Kaito couldn’t have friends, he couldn’t have lovers either.

Kaito found his eyes scanning the small park and trying to take in the sights of humans going about their days.  The children chasing each other aimlessly through the grass. A young couple on a bench, their hands clenched tightly as they whispered to each other.  An elderly couple slowly pacing their way along the sidewalk, reminiscing.

‘Do humans just have deeper connections to each other than we do?’ Kaito thought to himself.  He knew that the Seruva could fall in love, but it always seemed so rigid and formal.  Only the “nestlings” really spent their time living in the moment, trying to reach out to others.

“I don’t doubt the Seruva were like this once too.”

Somehow Gakupo had read Kaito’s mind.  “Listen to their melodies,” Kaito mused out loud, “So much life.  How did we become so cold?”

“Kaito~!”

Miku skipped over with Luka close behind.  “You done with your morning exams?” Kaito asked.

The teal haired girl nodded in excitement. “Yea, and I know I aced em’!”

Gakupo sheathed his weapon, abruptly ending his impromptu practice. “Gakupo, you probably should be more cautious with that sword,” Luka said, “the police might try to take it from you.”

The purple-haired man grumbled to himself.  “Was that all, warden?” he remarked.

Luka pulled a small strip of measuring tape from her purse.  “Actually, it’s good that you two decided to spend some time together,” she said, “I need measurements from both of you.  Kaito, can you hold out your arms?”

“Um… okay?” he said, obediently.

Miku was beside herself.  “We’re making your costumes for Vocaloids!” she said excitedly, “I know we’re supposed to wait for you to pass the initiation, but… but… Luka and I already had cool ideas and we can’t wait!”

“Do we get a say?” Kaito asked nervously as Luka pressed the tape around his chest.

Miku held up a notebook in Kaito’s face.  “This is what we had in mind for you, Kaito!”

He examined a rough sketch of himself wearing a long white coat, extremely long sheer scarf, black shirt, tight pants, and tall black boots.

“That… doesn’t look too different from the clothes I’m wearing now…” Kaito said.

Miku started to laugh.  “You look good in the long coat, so we’re making you a snazzier one!” she said, “These parts are going to be shiny… and the boots will make it easier for you when we start working on dancing!”

As Luka moved over to Gakupo, the warrior sounded intrigued.  “So what shall you be providing for _me_?” he asked.

“Well, you might have inspired me with your viewing habits…” Luka said with a knowing smile.

Miku flipped the notebook and revealed Gakupo clad in garments Kaito realized reminded him of…

“You’re making me s _amurai_ robes?!”

Kaito laughed as he heard the excited notes weaving through Gakupo’s speech.  “A noble warrior who embraces the power of song…” he said, his voice taking on an imperial tone.

Miku kept pointing to different pieces of the costume.  “See, yours is going to be really complex, but you’ll wear this ‘cyber suit’ underneath – these reflective parts are gonna make it light up under stage lights – so you won’t be getting dragged down by the robes and – “

“So all I have to do is pass an initiation and I get to wear the costume?”

Kaito had never heard Gakupo this excited about _anything_ before, but hearing the tones in his voice fed his own enthusiasm.  His own costume appeared downright regal.  Miku pulled the notebook away from the taller man’s face.  “You got your reason worked out yet?!”

At that Gakupo hesitated.  “Not… yet…”

Time for a save of his own.  “Miku…” Kaito asked, “Maybe it would help if you told us what kind of reasons the rest of you have.”

Luka laughed as she finished with Gakupo and unwrapped the tape from around him.  “Miku has the most straight-forward reason of any of us,” she said.

Miku’s face began to take on a redder color.  “Wellllll…” she said, “Remember how some Seruva saved my life when I was a kid?”

How could he forget?  Without waiting for an answer, she began to press the tips of her fingers together. “I… I wanted to sing all over the world… so wherever he is… he’ll know I’m okay.”

By now, Kaito noticed the tones that slipped into Miku’s voice when she spoke of what should have been a happier event.  Someone had saved her – and given her the experience of flight for just a few moments.  So why did she have the sad notes in her voice when she spoke of him?

“They don’t all have to be like Miku’s,” Luka said, “For example, I intend to be a Vocaloid to prove my worth.”

“That… is a tad broad,” Gakupo said.

Luka’s voice had taken on a complex melody – not sad as Miku’s, but a mixture of many varied feelings.  “Miku, Rin, and Len always looked up to me since they met me,” she reminisced, “I wanted to become a Vocaloid to prove I was worthy of that respect.”

“That’s why Luka’s always going to be my sempai!” Miku said with a smile.

‘So this is what they mean…’ Kaito thought to himself, ‘That gives me a few ideas…’

“So what were the twins’ reasons?” Gakupo asked, “I’ve only got two to go off of!”

Luka smiled slyly.  “Maybe you should ask them yourself!” she said, “After all, they’re Vocaloids too.”

Kaito finally realize that because of how bizarre the last several days had been, he’d barely gotten to know one half of the original “Vocaloids” group that he’d joined up with.  The only two other humans he knew… and now the only two that remained blissfully ignorant of what he truly was.

“Ooooo!  I got it!” Miku shouted, “They’re done with their exams in an hour!  We should take Kaito and Gakupo to the game center!  They’ll love it!”

“Game… center?” Kaito asked, confused.

 

 _“Teto Teto_ _★ Night Fever!  Get on the popping rhythm, forget all the bad stuff!”_

A girl with red, corkscrew shaped hair danced across a stage spelling out her name in lights.  Miku slammed her hands across the arcade controller lightning quick.  “This is for _you,_ Teto-sama!”

 _“Teto Teto_ _★ Night Fever! I'm right here so don't turn your eyes away even a little! No, no, don't!”_

As the song finished, a giant loaf of bread with arms and legs burst through the back wall and posed behind the girl on the screen.  Miku put her hands up in the air and cheered as she finished the song.  “YEA!  Perfect score!”

Kaito had simply watched as Miku played the game, as if studying something of great importance.  Miku smiled brightly at him.  “You wanna try?” Miku asked.

“I… I don’t think I’d be that good…” he said, putting up his hands.

“Awww… but it’s Teto-chan!”

Kaito rubbed a hand behind his head.  “I don’t know who that is…” he said.

As the shock rushed through Miku’s body, she tried to remind herself that Kaito was still new to the world of humans.  It was _forgivable_ for him to not know who she was. “Kasane Teto is the famous Diva!” Miku explained.

She stuck her index fingers in her hair, trying to make the shape of horns.  “Teto-chan drills her way into everyone’s heart!”

“Does she really have horns?  I can’t imagine what that would feel like,” Kaito said, patting the top of his head in amusement.

“Accursed fiends!  How dare you challenge a mighty samurai?!”

“Uh… yea!  What he said!”

Miku winced and turned her head.  Gakupo and Len were heavily engrossed in the side-scroller _Shogun Streets_.  Clearly, a little _too_ engrossed given the odd reactions some of the other patrons were giving them.  In the back, Luka and Rin were participating in a dancing game, _Teto Teto Dance._   “So… Teto is someone you guys are trying to be like?” Kaito asked.

“That’s exactly what Vocaloids is trying to do!” she said excitedly, practically dancing with excitement, “Sing all over the world, make everyone happy…”

She giggled.  “I mean, she’s not the person that _inspired_ us!  That was an upperclassman back at the Academy.  But she’s someone _like_ us!  And she even got scouted right here in Tsubasa City!”

“I wonder what her reason was…” Kaito mused aloud.

‘Wow… he _is_ taking this seriously…’ Miku thought to herself.

“Curses!  How could they defeat a samurai!?” Gakupo shouted.

“Hah… maybe we should get him _away_ from fighting games for awhile?” Miku asked sheepishly, “Is there anything that _you_ wanted to try?”

Kaito scanned the entire arcade, but to him every device appeared a mystery. “I… I don’t really play… games…” he stammered.

‘Did he just never get to do _any_ fun things?’

Apparently noticing her curiosity, Kaito began to open up a little more.  “I never really entertained myself back home,” he said, “My duties always came first.”

“So what you’re saying is… you need _fun_ lessons!”

An impish smile spread across Miku’s face.  “Okay!  The racing machine over there, let’s try that first!  There’s enough seats for all of us!”

Without waiting for Kaito’s answer, she turned and waved to her friends. “Len, Gakupo!  Rin, Luka!  Come on, we’re going to teach Kaito how to play _Indy USA!_ ”

“YAY!  I get to sit next to Kaito!” Rin cheered.

In spite of _many_ false starts due to two of the players utter unfamiliarity with the operation of a car, eventually Miku noticed Kaito seemed to be enjoying himself.  Even if his car went off the road more times than she could count, the broad smile on his face gave away his light mood. 

“Hey, Miku, you almost ran me off the road!” Len chided.

Miku found her own vehicle about to leave the track as she realized she’d been spending more time watching Kaito than playing the game.  Something about the way he smiled drew her attention.  Making him happy felt wonderful…

As the afternoon continued, Kaito threw himself more enthusiastically into trying new games.  The Kagamines started to feed off of his childlike energy, pulling him around even more eagerly than Miku had as they tried to get him to play their favorites with them.

“AH! Kaito, have you tried this!?  You match these cute jellies up and they vanish!”

“Kaito, give this a try! You get to fly a plane and shoot bad guys, and the whole cabinet moves just like a real cockpit!”

All too soon, everyone was out of tokens and Kaito had the last one.  He seemed awestruck at how many choices he still had…

“Kaito-niisan!  You should try the UFO Catcher!” Rin said, pointing to a crane machine filled with toys, “I never win but maybe you’ll be better, you’re taller than me!”

“-Niisan?” Kaito asked quizzically.

“Heh… Kaito, I think Rin just adopted you as her new ‘big brother,’” Len teased.

Gakupo cocked an eyebrow.  “I’m at least 15 centimeters taller than him… I could do it…” he said.

As Rin stared all the way up at the taller man, she squeaked.  “Ah… well… Kaito has the last token… and…”

‘… yep, Rin’s scared of tall people,’ Miku thought to herself, observing how Rin seemed to crane her neck to look up at Gakupo. ‘Weird thing for her to be shy about…’

As Kaito maneuvered the crane into place, Rin eagerly pointed to the toy she wanted.  “That one!  I love teddy bears!”

Despite never having manipulated the crane before, Kaito just barely managed to snag the head of the teddy bear.  Miku held her breath, watching the weak crane wobbling back and forth.  Just as the prize approached the chute, it slipped.  Before it move too far from the opening, she just barely heard a sharp note. A _female_ note.

The toy jumped as if jolted by an invisible force.

Luka winked at the curious Miku.  ‘Rin… you got so lucky today,’ Miku thought with jealousy.

“Kaito-niisan, you’re the best, the best, the best!” she cheered, hugging her new toy close.

Kaito smiled brightly.  “Big brother, huh?” he said, “I guess I never had a sister or a brother before…”

“You’re an only child, Kaito?!” Rin asked in shock, only for Kaito to nod in the affirmative.

Miku spotted him tensing up for a moment – perhaps there was more to that story than he wanted to admit.  “Well… you’re good at being a big brother!” Rin said with a grin, “You come up with a reason yet?”

“Not yet… maybe it would help if you and Len told me yours?” he asked, “Luka and Miku already told us theirs.”

Rin clutched the bear to her chest.  “Umm… Len and I…” she started to turn red.

On cue, Len piped up.  “Our folks always treated Rin and I like we were property,” he said, “We couldn’t do ANYTHING on our own.”

Rin walked over to her brother and gripped his hand tightly.  “We wanted to be Vocaloids because… we wanted to prove that we can do things for ourselves!”

Len grinned.  “And we’re already on our way!” he said, “We moved into the Academy dorms when we enrolled in school… and we even made it into the same college as Luka and Miku!”

“So _my_ reason is… to prove I can do anything I want!” Len crowed.

Rin joined him. “And _my_ reason… is to get stronger so nobody ever doubts me!”

Kaito nodded his head in thought.  “You’ve all given me a lot to think about…” he said, “I’ll do my best to live up to it!”

One of Gakupo’s boisterous laughs shook things up, clearly startling Rin.  “Indeed!  Such fine inspiration!  Truly worthy goals, all of you!”

The smile on Kaito’s face filled Miku’s heart with joy.  She glanced over to Gakupo, who had his eyes firmly on Kaito.  While he too smiled, there was something surprisingly softer about his expression.

Again the tinge of jealousy plied at her heart.

 

_“L R L R Stop & Dash & Up & Talk B B A B S(tart)!”_

Rin had her new prize teddy bear in one hand and her brother’s hand in the other.

_“L R L R Stop & Dash & Up & Talk B B A B S(tart)!”_

The twins each wore a big smile as they sang in unison, swinging their arms together.  To the blonde girl, it felt like weeks since she’d had the chance to enjoy herself to this extent – the drag of studying for summer exams had killed their free time outside of weekend Vocaloid practice. But now she’d not only spent an afternoon goofing off with her friends… she had a new “big brother” too.

_“Sit down, sit down, sit down please!  Entrust your body to the feedback loop!”_

She clutched Len’s hand tightly. Of course she dearly loved her twin – he was a part of her.  Her “mirror”.  It just felt nice to have a kind older boy to trust as well.

“So… you think Gakupo’s going to make it through initiation?”

Rin squeaked at the mention of his name and suddenly her mind filled with the tall man’s piercing blue eyes, staring into her soul.  To the small girl, he was a towering presence – something about him felt downright _scary_. But he did have a nice voice, and he’d been very kind to everyone as they played games…

“I… I think he’ll be okay.  I know Kaito-niisan will be!”

She heard Len sighing.  “You don’t like him?” she asked.

“It’s… not that…”

Of the two siblings, Len was the one more likely to put up a cocky front but in reality he was the more sensitive twin.  “I… I still don’t believe that story he told us about Kyoto!”

“Awww… not even being in the chorus?” Rin sighed.

A devilish grin spread across her face.  “This is about you and Miku~!” she said in a sing-song voice.

Len’s face turned red.  “Knock it off, Rin! This is serious business!”

It was _definitely_ about Len and Miku.  “Come on Len, he’s only been here like… half a week!  You still have a chance!”

Len’s face turned even redder.  “Stop trying to pair me up with Miku!” he said in frustration, “She’s always so scatterbrained and she’s behind on practices and she’s… she just keeps taking in people without asking any questions!  What’s _wrong_ with her all of a sudden?!”

Rin wanted to tease Len some more, but his eyes told her to restrain herself for once.  “You can’t give up without trying!” Rin encouraged, “That’s not like you!”

“… yea, but it’s Miku… and I don’t want to scare her off…” he said.

“Aw, you’d never scare Miku off!” Rin cheered, “We go wayyyy too far back!”

The blonde boy nodded slowly.  “… yea, I can’t just give up.  Not to your _new_ brother.”

Len looked up and winked at Rin.  “Don’t worry, your _other_ big brother will be just fine.”

Rin stuck out her tongue at Len.  “Nuh uh, I’m older than you by two minutes!”

Len rolled his eyes.  “Oh, so sorry, Rin-NEECHAN!  I’ll remember to revere you, oh mighty big sister!”

The twins broke down into laughter together.  Rin had many people in her life she cared about – her best friend Miku, her sempai Luka, her new big brother Kaito, even the scary Gakupo.  There were people she missed – like Oliver.  But first in her heart would always be the boy who shared one half of it.  Her first and best singing partner.  Her blood brother, Len.  The brother she could always count on.

Len picked up their song where she’d left off.

_“A rainbow samurai fell in love, and laid claim to everything in existence…”_

 

“OW!”

“Gakupo, I wouldn’t keep sticking you with these pins if you’d just hold still.”

Gakupo stood with his arms extended as Luka hovered just behind him, a blue fabric pencil in her hand.  White fabric was draped over his arms, held together by straight pins.  Staying still for so long was not something the warrior was accustomed to.  In the warrior caste back home, he’d never needed anything tailored.  He’d never had the patience for it.  He was a man of action!

Yet he tried to draw every ounce of patience that he had as he thought of how exciting it would be to play the role of a human warrior.  The samurai in the films he’d watched were all complex men – willing to die for a cause even if it was truly hopeless.  Men who served their masters until the very end.

An oath Gakupo himself swore upon his induction into the warrior caste.  Yet amongst the Seruva, the warriors were intended to serve all Seruva equally.  Gakupo was special in his task to keep Kaito and only Kaito under constant surveillance.  Perhaps that was why he identified with the samurai in the films so strongly – the solid devotion not to a country, but the vision and courage of a single person uniting that country.

Kaito, as the Spirit Caller, wasn’t a ruler.  The Elders ran things, but based on the guidance of the ancestors that Kaito delivered from his contacts with the beyond.  A culture that not only revered the dead, but shaped their very lives around the wisdom of those past.  The warrior’s mind drifted back to his observations of humans.  He understood that humans in this country had a fierce loyalty to their past as well – but not quite so extreme.

“You know Gakupo,” Luka said, her teeth clenched around another straight pin, “You’re not what I expected of a warrior.”

The “samurai” laughed.  “You're not what I expected of an ex-priestess.  Where in the world did you learn to sew costumes like this?”

“I used to mend robes as an acolyte,” she said, “I got pretty fast doing it by hand. But I always wanted to try something more elaborate than those plain things …”

Her felt her hands around his bicep. “Is that enough room? Try moving your arm.”

Gakupo swung his fist forward dramatically. “Might need to loosen it a bit,” he remarked, “my reaction time was a half second slower.”

“It's not armor,” Luka chuckled, “I'm still surprised you wanted to go along with this. Miku is pretty intense when she wants something, but you could have still just attended rehearsals…”

“I go where Kaito goes,” Gakupo said matter of factly.

A beat.  “I’m not misreading the two of you, am I?” Luka finally asked.

Gakupo worked hard to control the notes in his voice. “I am Kaito’s bodyguard. I must always attend to him.”

“And that's really all there is to it?”

The playful notes skipping through Luka’s response made him nervous.  He tried to cover it with a proud laugh. “I'm also his friend!” he remarked.

He shifted his approach. “The least I can do for him is support him in his most dire hour,” he added.

Before Luka could press him further, he redirected the conversation away from himself. “So how does a Severed priestess end up joining a performance troupe?”

Now it was Luka's turn to hesitate, but her voice indicated a willingness to speak more plainly than before. “It's quite the story,” she said, “I was abandoned in Tsubasa City to fend for myself.  I ended up in an institution in Nagoya. Apparently this country has no more use for people like me than the Seruva did.”

Gakupo noticed Luka running a delicate finger along her wrist before she returned to adjusting the pins at his sleeve. “I almost died there…” she said softly, “I knew I'd failed the person I'd tried to save. I'd become nothing more than refuse. I didn't just have to learn to be human, I had to learn to be Japanese. Don't stand out, think like everyone else, obey your place. So many rituals! Even saying hello is a ritual that marks your place.”

“What, a Seruva objecting to rituals and order?” Gakupo quipped.

“It's not so simple when the traditions change…” Luka lamented, “And everyone noticed I knew almost nothing. The angle of my head in a bow, what names to use and when. There's so many humans they all have at least two names just to tell them apart!  I even had to make one up just to pretend I was normal!”

Luka stopped as her words had taken on a rather chaotic tone. “My apologies…” she said.

“It's not required,” Gakupo said, “I've never met a Val’Sharess before. It's unthinkable such barbarism persists. Listening to your experience only makes that clearer.”

Another beat as Luka switched to his other sleeve.  “I’ve made the best of things,” she explained, “I did find a place here.  A home.  There are many wonderful things about this world as well, things I never could have dreamed of in the Islands. Now I think of myself as a Japanese woman first, and a Val’Sharess second.  I could never see myself leaving…”

He heard some suspicion in her voice. “You speak quite freely for a warrior,” she said, “I doubt you’d get away with that back in the Islands…”

Gakupo’s swagger returned as he dismissed the concern entirely. “Grand Priestess Meiko can't Sever me for mouthing off here – OW!”

On the word “Meiko,” Luka had jabbed her pin right into his shoulder. “I'm so sorry!” she apologized, pulling the pin back and checking the tip. “… no blood…” she murmured.

Gakupo sang a few notes of his healing ballad. Within seconds, he felt the sting from the bruise vanish.  “I take it you know her…” he said.

Well, with a reaction like _that_ , Luka couldn’t pretend otherwise.  “We apprenticed together,” Luka said softly, “I’m surprised though… don’t they usually recruit older people for that position?”

“I wouldn’t know… the head of the warrior caste is determined through martial combat,” Gakupo said, “So you worked with her? She’s a most unapproachable person.”

Luka clenched one of her hands over her heart. “Meiko… was a kind person when we were children…” she said, “Perhaps something terrible happened to her.”

Luka’s melody became very faint… she was concealing more to her story.  Something very personal.  ‘Well, I’m not here to interrogate her…’ Gakupo thought to himself, ‘Still… if she knew Meiko… then she knew Kaito as well.’

Out loud, he said “Maybe the events after Lady Prima’s death changed her outlook.  Someone tried to kill the last Spirit Caller right after she passed.  Kaito’s never been the same since then.”

The news seemed to deeply impact Luka – clearly she knew something about the events then.  But he doubted Luka was a killer.  She’d had plenty of time to murder Kaito without Gakupo around.  And while he wasn’t always a perfect judge of character, even when she was this secretive she never seemed to hide any malice.  “I assume that’s why they assigned you to be his guard,” she said.

Gakupo nodded slowly.  Luka obviously refused to share the full truth.  Gakupo had his own reasons to distrust the official story.  His own personal experiences with Kaito’s never-ending regimen of grueling vigils with the ancestors had long ago planted the seeds of doubt in his heart.  He yearned to ask more of Luka’s past, to reveal how much he knew… yet…

Something about the wounded look in her eyes made him stay his tongue for the time being.

“…. Did they ask you to spy on him?” Luka asked bitterly.

“Yes.”

Luka looked surprised at his forthrightness.  What point was there in lying?  He’d been installed to be Kaito’s bodyguard - and an ear to the Elders into his private thoughts.  “They wanted me looking out for any ‘rebellious thoughts’ or signs of ‘corrupting influence.’ For the good of the Seruva of course.”

“And did you tell them?”

Gakupo laughed.  “I’ve always been a good liar.”

‘And I would _never_ betray _him._ ’

Something about hearing that seemed to calm Luka.  “I’m glad he had just one good friend then,” she said.

Such a loaded sentence, yet again the warrior chose not to pry.  A heavy topic to broach when they’d spent the day in much needed relaxation.  “I think we’re good with the costume for tonight,” Luka said.

Gakupo carefully slipped off the pinned jacket and handed it to the seamstress.  “Good!  Maybe we can watch one of those moving things again!”

At that, Luka chuckled.  “Okay, but I’m going to make you watch something BESIDES a samurai movie,” she said, winking at him, “You need to expand your horizons!”

 

_“I curse you! Until one loves you as truly I, you and your kingdom shall suffer for your monstrous heart!”_

_“No please! I never meant to offend you, fairy!”_

“Awww… poor Demon Prince…” Miku whispered, clutching a pillow close to her chest, “Why is that fairy so mean to him?! Gahhhh!”

As Miku started to punch the pillow, Kaito kept his attention tightly focused on the television set.  Miku had rented a “moving” for them and the excited notes in her voice told him she had a particular attachment to this one.  Yet even as he focused on the show, his mind kept drifting back to the day he’d had and his earlier confession to Gakupo.

That he was finding himself happier as a human than as a Seruva.

Of course it upset him. He wasn't just any Seruva – he was the last Spirit Caller!  Just being on Earth, goofing around while his people suffered without the guidance of the ancestors?  He feared the chaos that must be erupting in his absence…

But he couldn't change what had happened. He was not a Seruva anymore, and his Spirit Caller powers appeared to be failing him.  He had no choice but to move forward.

In spite of the lingering dangers he'd faced in the last week, the Noise possessing Gakupo, the attack of Haku, and the worries over Sweet Ann and Big Al scouring the city for him… he was more satisfied with his life. Rin actually trusted him so she’d adopted him as a “brother.” Quite a change from Meiko’s constant reminders of how useless he’d been…

‘To prove your worth, to grow stronger, to attain anything, to sing for a lost loved one…’

“Kaito?  You okay?”

Miku's voice drew him back out of his thoughts.   “Sorry… I just have a lot on my mind…” he said with a sigh.

“Awww… I thought we'd finally taught you how to have fun.”

“You know Miku… none of this would have happened if it weren’t for you….” He said.

He looked away from her again.  He had trouble meeting her gaze when he was confessing something so private. “You… if you hadn’t begged me to live… I would have allowed myself to die.”

“… you’re the one that patched up all the wounds…” Miku said, “I didn’t really do anything…”

“… except give me a new home.  And a new life.”

Kaito hoped he wasn’t making Miku too uncomfortable, but he felt a massive debt to the girl.  “I never thought I could trust humans, but you’ve never given up on me. I… today was my happiest day as a ‘human.’”

As Kaito looked back over to Miku, she was holding her hands around her knees, not meeting his eyes.  ‘Maybe I went too far…’ he thought to himself. He’d never confessed to something so personal before, not even to Gakupo.

“So… uh… about Gakupo…” Miku asked, and suddenly Kaito noticed some quaking, nervous notes creeping into her voice.  “How close are the two of you?”

‘What kind of question is that?’ Kaito thought to himself.

“We’re friends,” Kaito replied.

“And… that’s it?”

The doubt in her voice made Kaito uncomfortable.  “Um… are we not supposed to be?” Kaito asked.

Miku let out a small sigh.  “Sorry… it was kind of a silly question anyway,” she said.

At that, Miku turned back to face the movie on the television.  Kaito detected some red coloring in her cheeks, but he couldn’t understand why.  After a few moments of silence, Miku spoke up again.  “So what kind of place was your home?”

For the first time, Kaito felt safe enough to talk about his home, without betraying them… or worse, feeling homesick.  “Well, Seruva technology is more primitive than this…” he said.

He laughed.  “We certainly don’t have any games like you had.”

“So… so what did you do?  In your free time?”

“I didn’t really have much… I usually didn’t do anything outside of my routine aside from when Gakupo would show up at night.”

Miku’s face appeared to be turning redder. “I… I see…” Miku’s voice began to climb higher.

“I was expected to stay in at all times, but Gakupo always knew how to sneak the two of us out without getting caught.”

Miku’s pitch crept up again.  “And then what did you do?” she asked.

‘Is that really so bizarre?’ he thought to himself.

“We’d just fly as far as our wings could take us…” Kaito said, the lovely memories of flying with his friend rising to the top of his memories, “Even in the moonlight, the Islands are pure beauty.  There’s wide forests and shining lakes… when you get away from the Seruva settlements, it’s so quiet… sometimes when I held my breath… all I could hear was the sounds of our wings flapping…”

For a fleeting moment, Kaito felt jealousy of Gakupo’s freedom to simply soar across the Tsubasa City skies.  He yearned to see a city of lights from the sky but he would never be able to do so again…

“So for fun, you’d just fly wherever you wanted…” Miku said in wonder, “Why weren’t you allowed to do it any other time?”

A question that required a more… delicate touch.  Even Gakupo wasn’t allowed to know the inner workings of the vigils he’d participated in.  “As Spirit Caller, I was supposed to provide guidance from the ancestors to our tribe,” he explained, “Sometimes it would take days for me to successfully commune with their spirits.”

He tried to think of the last time he’d heard their voices, but his memories were hazy.  “That and someone already tried to kill me to end my bloodline. When my mother died.” Kaito said more solemnly.

“What?!  A SERUVA tried to kill you!?” Miku said.

He shook his head.  “I don’t remember what happened during the attack… who did it, how they did it… I just know that it happened.  Because I lost a lot of my memories in the attack, I had to rely on the Elders and Meiko to help me piece together what happened.”

He clenched a fist. “Given my observations in this city, I don’t doubt the culprit used Dark Notes on me.  The very same type of magic humans are trying to turn into weapons here.”

“… I didn’t know you’d had such a hard life…” Miku said, “Well don’t worry!  I won’t let any one of those awful people touch you here!”

Kaito couldn’t help but let himself be cheered up by Miku’s bold proclamation. He began to ponder the path in front of him again.  None of his new friends had easy lives, but every one of them found some way to cope with them by this shared goal.  Each one of them had a reason to chase it, to make themselves better. “I think I finally have a reason… for my initiation.”

Miku clapped her hands together. “What is it?!” she asked in excitement.

“… To recreate myself.”

Kaito glanced out at the sky.  “I can't be the person I used to be anymore,” he said, “my old life is gone.  So… I'm going to treat this as a fresh start.  To get rid of all my old flaws and make something better.  I’m not a Spirit Caller now… so I’ll remake myself as a Vocaloid.”

He looked back to see Miku nodding her head.  “Wow… that’s a deep one…” she said, “Well… we’re going to work you hard, don’t you fret.  You’ll have to make a new you!”

Miku pumped her fists.  Somehow, seeing Miku so excited for him made him more confident as well.  He could begin to let go of his past… no matter what hardships lay ahead of him, he had a plan.

Kaito’s heart had never felt so free.

 

The loud music of the club pulsed through the bodies of the gathered crowd.  Dancing with the chaotic rhythm, allowing it to carve a path through them.  Yet as the melodies of the club continued unabated, few remained aware of a malevolent undercurrent within the music.  A discord that wound its way through the beats, seeking prey.

Eventually, it clutched within its grasp a girl with long white hair tinged with pink, clad in a black tank top, pink skirt, and white boots. 

_Such a lovely face… you’ll do nicely._

She ceased her dancing as she heard his voice.  The lure of the discord drew her towards a secluded door towards the back of the club.  As she found herself pulled downstairs into a basement, a sense of anxiety began to overtake her heart.  Moving against her will, she felt her terror magnifying with every step.  She ended her march in a room with scattered speakers and old sound equipment.

That’s when she saw _him_.  A young man with short pink hair, wearing a black hat, white and black hoodie, pink-striped tie, and black and pink-lined pants.  He had a pair of swords in his hands and large black wings sticking out of his back.  “Are you… are you a Shinigami?” she whispered, her voice quivering.

The man’s cruel laughter echoed within the basement. “I’m a Herald of Noise… and you?  I just liked the sound of the fear in your heart.”

He crossed the blades of his weapons together.  “So what scares a pretty little thing like you anyway?”

A massive wave of sound collapsed around her, causing her to fall to the floor as horrible images overtook her before she could so much as scream.  And all too suddenly, she was trapped in a nightmare from which she could never escape…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry IA, I had to pick on SOMEONE to be VY2’s first on-page victim.
> 
> So this turned into a breather chapter.  I realized after the last four chapters, most of the main cast had never spoken to each other, and that needed to change given one of the themes of the story is harmony and connecting to others.  It should be obvious from the stinger the next chapter will be more intense.
> 
> I don’t actually try to time these chapter releases beyond a day of the week, but this chapter in which the main cast goes to blow off steam at an arcade drops during Penny Arcade Expo East, a massive video gaming convention that I am attending this year.  Definitely not something I planned, but hey, maybe I’ll find some Vocaloid goodies there.
> 
> I couldn’t help hammering at the fourth wall this chapter- hopefully fans of my last story appreciated the nods.  I loved the nostalgia trip of forcing the Sega mascots into an arcade.  Japan’s arcade scene never died out like it did in the rest of the world, and Sega actually still maintains a large presence within it.   _Indy USA_ is a nod to the classic _Daytona USA._ _Shogun Streets_ is not a real game, but I envisioned it as a samurai-themed take on the eternally awesome 2D beat em’ up _Streets of Rage_.  I don’t think I need to explain the two Teto games, but I also included references to _Puyo Puyo_ (which Sega produced the arcade versions for) and “ _Afterburner_ ”… which Meiko sang the theme song of in Project Diva :)  _Puyo Puyo_ shows up as a minigame in Project Mirai 2.
> 
> “Shirasagi Park”, by the way, is another bird reference.  “Shirasagi” is a white heron. Man this TSUBASA City sure has a lot of bird references.
> 
> So a little backstory on Luka’s history. My original concept for her was based on what I knew of the American foster care system, and she would have had a neglectful foster family that she cut ties to later.  I did some research into the Japanese system and learned that both adoptions and foster homes are extremely rare and most orphaned children grow up in institutions. And they’re pretty notoriously awful places.  So this isn’t a social justice story, but I did feel that detail would affect Luka deeply.  It also, admittedly, made her story simpler to write since I didn’t have to account for any adoptive parents or siblings.
> 
>  **Song Credits:** Teto’s baaaaaaack!  In this universe, there’s an obvious problem in that our core cast consists of 6 of the Big 8 Vocaloids performing songs in a setting where they’re not famous. It seemed perfect to turn the Vocaloid-wannabe into a famous character that coincidentally performs all of those songs!  Because in reality… every major Miku song and many of the others have Teto covers somewhere.  So yes, Teto was performing [her “Luka Luka Night Fever” cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsRjiq2mPXs), and the stage in the fictional Teto game is a parody of the stage in Project Diva (replacing Tako Luka with French bread.) Outside of Teto songs, the Kagamines sang "[Remote Control](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rFpHxD06dY)". The chapter itself is named for the song [“NegaPosi*Continues”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv58iftaAp8), a song about a gamer.


	6. Night Pulse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Club Airly nightclub is the hottest place in town… but our heroes end up inside seeking not fun, but danger as people begin to vanish within its walls. Can Miku stay focused on fighting long enough to stop Kaito from stepping into a deadly trap? And are Luka and Gakupo getting closer than they ever expected? They’d better be ready, because the second Herald is a crafty warrior that drinks in the fear of his prey…

_ _

_“Wearing eyeliner and mascara, to get into a stylish bar, clad in a suit, I waited for you…”_

“Gakupo, how’s that jinbaori feel?  Think you can move around in that?”

“I don’t know, how are pants _supposed_ to feel?”

Luka’s new costume model was utterly out of his element as she ordered him around.  Just behind him was her television set, playing her favorite film, _Sweets and Bitters_.  She’d put it on for some background noise, and now the credits were rolling over her favorite song.  She hadn’t finished the body suit yet, so he was trying the jinbaori on over his normal clothes.  “I just need to know if you can dance wearing the costume.”

_“Tiptoeing in high heels, the right height for a kiss…”_

Naturally, Gakupo tested not dance steps, but sword stances.  Luka tried to focus only on searching for mistakes in the craftsmanship, but found herself distracted just watching his motions.  For all of Gakupo’s outlandish personality, he still possessed the natural grace of a Seruva warrior, the complete awareness of self.

_“A variety of cocktails, the candles on the table, erasing the confusion…”_

As he finished his stances, he turned his gaze back to the seamstress.  “The tailoring is superb!  I could easily conduct battle AND dance in this garment!”

“Dancing and fighting are _very_ different,” Luka said, “I’ll get to work finishing them.”

With exams over and summer break begun, Luka could finally begin her Vocaloid work. Gakupo and Kaito had been in town for a week and chaos seemed to follow the duo wherever they went.  But tonight, it would just be her and her sewing…

… or so she thought until she heard a familiar “ping” on her phone. She grabbed the device and the sender confirmed her suspicions.

[16bitCaRR0t: 15 ppl missing @ Karasu Circle, no witnesses, cops clueless  
2xLariat: Did you investigate the area?  Did you notice anyone acting strangely around any particular location?  
16bitCaRR0t: ppl getting crazy around Club Airly. getting “forgotten” when they go in.  
16bitCaRR0t: maybe its memory gas. ill bring my gas mask down next time i look! busy chasing Big Sweet 2nite >=D]

_“Grown-up gestures charm me before I know it, the skyscrapers that appealed to me…”_

A popular night club… how could people just vanish into the Noise when surrounded by others?  She glanced at Gakupo, who was folding up his clothes.  He still remained unaware of his own actions when under the influence of Dark Notes…

Luka began to plan a strategy.  To investigate a nightclub, they would need proper identification.  Kaito and Gakupo weren’t human, let alone Japanese, and Miku was underage.

[2xLariat: Speaking of clubs… I need three IDs. Some friends of mine need entertainment.  
16bitCaRR0t: NEthing 4 u 2x!]

As Luka began to upload some quick photos from her phone of Miku, Kaito, and Gakupo, she addressed her houseguest.  “Gakupo… there might be a Herald on the loose…” she said, “I need to get you dressed…”

Gakupo became animated with energy.  “AH!  I’ll grab my warrior’s robes and…”

She almost felt guilty deflating his enthusiasm. “It’s a night club, actually,” Luka explained, “I meant, I need to get you clothes to blend _in._ ”

_“…the pleasure district's invitation, today, I'll try fitting in with them…”_

[16bitCaRR0t: Y M I MAKING IDS FOR THESE JERKS!??!?!?!1111!!!!]

 

Miku gleefully strode down the sidewalk in Karasu Circle.  Finally, a peek into the secret “adult life” of Club Airly! Dancing, alcohol, glamorous clothes! Of course, that “peek” was actually “work” – she wasn’t attending to have fun.  She was joining Kaito, Luka, and Gakupo as they hunted down a dangerous person.

‘Still… maybe he won’t show up?  Hee hee…’

Between Luka and Miku, they’d gotten some fancier clothes for Kaito, who still leaned towards being too casual when left to his own devices. But tonight, in his black pants and vest and blue shirt and tie, Miku found herself eyeing him more regularly. ‘He… cleaned up well…’

As for Miku, she’d tried her best at an “adult look”, black jacket, shirt, and skirt, trimmed with pink and showing off her midriff.  Her black stockings matched her black and pink boots perfectly, or so she hoped.  Luka said she looked “adorable.”  She’d hoped for “elegant.”

But “elegance” was Luka’s expertise.  She and Gakupo looked like a matching set.  Where Kaito still appeared somewhat awkward in his more stylish clothes, his friend seemed to have no trouble with projecting a confident image in his white shirt, grey vest and tie, and black pants. His long hair was loose, cascading down his back under a grey fedora. Luka’s black sleeveless shirt possessed a plunging neckline that revealed a short grey tube top.  She had a small black hat pinned in her hair. Miku felt downright useless next to the two of them…

‘No no NO!  POSITIVE!  You’re going to a club and it’s going to be AWESOME!’

“Uh… Miku, did you slap your cheek?” Kaito asked.

Miku blushed.  “N… no…”

“Oh, before I forget,” Luka said, reaching into her purse, “You’ll need these to get inside. My ‘connection’ got them for us.”

She passed out cards to everyone in her group.  “Shion Kaito?” Kaito furrowed his brow as he read his ID card out loud.

“Oh, I came up with names for you and Gakupo,” Luka explained, “Remember… humans have at least two names!”

As the four passed into the forbidden paradise, Miku hoped the bouncer didn’t notice her quivering as she handed over her ID.  Fortunately, he waved her in and she attempted her best “confident adult walk” as she entered.

“Hey!  Wait a minute!”

Miku froze up.  “Kamui?!  Gakuto Kamui!?”

She looked over her shoulder as Gakupo sighed.  “No... Gaku **po.** ”

“Oh wow, that must happen to you a _lot._ You’re related or…?”

Gakupo looked rather annoyed as he took his ID back.  “Nope.”

Miku was now in adult nirvana, trying to take in all the new sights in front of her.  The loud blasts of music, a dance floor full of people, a sleek and modern bar.  She looked up to Kaito to see how he was reacting.  He was pressing his fingers to his temples.  “Kaito!” Miku shouted, “Do you hear Dark Notes or anything?”

“… nothing yet,” he said, “Just all this… throbbing music. Gakupo, Luka… can you feel anything odd?”

Two head shakes.  Gakupo, himself rubbing his head, asked “What melody are we to seek?”

Kaito seemed to be struggling for the words.  “It’s like… it’s not music, it’s a living melody… it’s always off tune…”

As Miku took in the loud thumping bass in the club, she interjected.  “Maybe you’re not hearing it because of the volume?”

As Kaito looked to Miku, she grew nervous. “I mean… I don’t know what I’m looking for,” she continued, “but… the last two times we found one of these Noise things, it was quiet.”

Kaito put a hand on his chin in thought.  “I guess I’m not used to music like this,” he said.

“That makes two of us,” Gakupo said, “I feel as though my skull may crack open.”

“This _is_ quite an intense array of sounds for a Seruva’s hearing,” Luka suggested, “I’m used to sounds like this, you two aren’t.  Maybe if we take a little time to get you two used to them?”

Miku wracked her brain for some way to be of use. ‘So Kaito just needs to learn how to handle loud music, eh?’

She grabbed Kaito’s hand. “Kaito!  Why don’t we go out on the dance floor!  You’ve never danced like this before, have you?”

As he studied the wild movements of the other people, he laughed nervously.  “Well, no…”

“Me neither! Let’s learn together!”

 

Gakupo couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Miku tugging Kaito into the crowd of dancing humans. Kaito wasn’t putting up much of a fight. Even if Kaito was worried about embarrassing himself, his curiosity would always win out.

The warrior studied the humans’ energetic motions. Seruva had a different method of dancing – they had to account for wings, after all.  Some of the ritual dances even incorporated flight.  But Seruva rarely danced for the sake of dancing.  Much like everything else, their culture remained so regimented that even a festival came with strict rules.

“Gakupo…” Luka said, interrupting his train of thought, “We had to buy our drinks ahead of time.  If you think you can work, we could grab a table and monitor the situation from afar.”

“That appears harmless enough,” he remarked, “Though I’ve no idea what sort of alcohol humans indulge in.”

“Hmmm… you seem like a sake drinker,” Luka said with a wink.

And she accused _Miku_ of not taking things seriously.  As Gakupo took a seat at an empty table off the dance floor, his eyes never left Kaito and Miku.  Gakupo’s heart stirred at watching Kaito slowly try to accustom himself to the practices around him.  The man’s face slowly brightened into a happy grin as he began to adjust to the movements of the other humans.  Even if the dancing itself was different, Kaito maintained the gracefulness of his people in his every movement. The fact that Miku didn’t seem to be taking anything that seriously might have helped ease him. The Elders tended to be quite severe in even the slightest mistakes he’d make.

Gakupo closed his eyes, trying to sift through the multitude of sounds around him.  Such a place could be dangerous for a Seruva. Their greater sensitivity to melodies and sound as a whole aided them in their magic, but he now recognized his own weakness to being simply overwhelmed by noises.

Luka approached the table with some glasses, a pink beverage in one hand, and a small glass filled with a clear liquid in the other.  “That one’s mine, I take it?” Gakupo asked.

“It’s a traditional rice wine,” Luka explained, setting his glass down in front of him.

The warrior tried to savor the taste – dry and earthy, with just a hint of sweetness.  He’d never been a heavy drinker back home for practical reasons, but he was certainly better than Kaito.  He smirked as he remembered the last time Kaito had tried to drink wine with him.  The poor boy had fallen asleep after just two glasses of wine.

“It’s not easy staying relaxed in a death trap,” he remarked.

“You seem to handle stress well,” Luka said, sipping her own drink.

“When you’re the Spirit Caller’s bodyguard, you live your life with one hand on your sword’s hilt.”

Luka seemed surprisingly calm herself.  Given what she’d been through in the past, he wondered if she’d developed this level of peacefulness out of necessity. He could just barely hear Luka humming a song to herself.  His trained Seruva ear recognized the melody at once.  “My but you are attached to that movie…” he remarked.

Luka rested her head in her hands, a dreamy look in her eyes.  “I’ve watched it so many times…” she said, “It seems silly to like little romances like that, but it always gets to me.  The way Julia gives up her steady job and runs off with Ramon, not knowing what her future will be…”

“So… the lovely Luka just wants to fall in love?” he joked.

Luka laughed and Gakupo drank in the pleasant chimes in her melody as she did so.  “I have FAR bigger goals than that,” she said, “But sometimes… it’s fun living vicariously through small human desires…”

She stared at Kaito and Miku on the dance floor.  “Maybe it would have been nice if I’d been born in a peaceful country… where I could just enjoy small dreams like that…”

_“Turn spoiled behavior and jealousy both into joy, because doing nothing but seeking is boring…”_

Gakupo strained to hear her over the pounding music in the club… but he was finding her voice far more enjoyable than any of the other sounds he was listening to…

 

In spite of human dancing making him nervous, Kaito hadn’t expected to be able to grasp it so quickly.  He guessed from Miku’s broad smile that he wasn’t embarrassing her.  “I can’t believe I’ve never tried anything like this before!” he shouted over the pounding music.

“You don’t _dance_ where you’re from!?” Miku shouted.

Kaito laughed.  “It’s something completely different!” he shouted back, “I’ll ask Gakupo to show you sometime!”

As Miku began to twirl, Kaito backed up suddenly, trying not to get hit by one of her pigtails.  He overcorrected, suddenly crashing into her and knocking her into the man behind her.  “Oh, I’m so sorry sir!” she said, bowing in apology.

“Ah… it’s okay… I’m not hurt…”

Kaito saw an older man with brown hair, glasses, and a black suit and green shirt.  “It’s all right, I wasn’t really looking where I was going!” he said.

“AH!  Hiyama-sempai!” Miku shouted.

On hearing that name, the man snapped his fingers as he recognized her.  “Hatsune!  I haven’t seen you since I graduated!”

“Um…. Miku, who’s this?” Kaito asked.

Miku looked positively star struck.  “Kaito, this is Hiyama Kiyoteru!  He’s in a band, Ice Mountain, and he used to go to my school!”

Kiyoteru looked embarrassed.  “Well… actually, Ice Mountain’s been on break for awhile…” he said.

Upon hearing the words “on break”, Miku’s face fell.  “You… you gave up your dream!?” she asked in astonishment.

Kiyoteru laughed politely.  “Well, after graduation, we all had our obligations, and I went to college.  Actually, I just finished my first semester back at the Academy… except now I’m an elementary teacher instead of a student!”

While Miku was crestfallen that Kiyoteru was “merely” a teacher, Kaito read notes of excitement in the man’s voice as the subject of his occupation came up.  Miku tried to hide her disappointment though Kaito could still heard the heavy depressed notes weighing down her melody.  “Ah, Ice Mountain’s performance at the culture festival was so cool, I never forgot you!”

“Wow… that was so long ago… you were still in what, 8th grade? Was your class the stuffed animal café?”

“Nope, we did the karaoke box!”

_You're not like them._

Kaito blinked and looked around.  He thought he'd heard a voice deep within the music addressing him, but just as quickly it retreated. He tried to focus and trace the source, but suddenly it emerged again, like a predator pouncing on unsuspecting prey.

_Why are you here?  Are you looking for me?_

Before he could warn Miku, he felt something seize his body. He tried to say something, anything, but he couldn’t move to make even the slightest noise.

_If you want to meet me that badly, Spirit Caller, I’ll invite you in._

Kaito struggled to fight back the Dark Notes that held him fast. As he stood enchanted into silence, Miku and her friend appeared unaware of his distress.  Kaito moved his eyes to Luka and Gakupo, praying the horrible melody had reached their ears, that they were about to spring into action… yet they remained wrapped up in conversing with each other.  It was as though somehow, Kaito ceased to exist to everyone around him.

_Don’t get your hopes up, kid. I’ve hidden you from everyone here. But hey, your girl is kinda cute. Maybe I’ll bring her along too…_

‘No!  Leave Miku out of this!’

_Heh heh… you’re right.  I’ll just let her follow you down… you’ll do the rest._

Kaito’s feet moved on their own as he began to leave the crowd of people behind…

 

“… so we're doing a reunion show at the hanabi in two weeks, if you’re interested.”

Miku's eyes sparkled with excitement. “An Ice Mountain reunion?!” she exclaimed, “I'll make sure my whole group is there!”

Kiyoteru looked surprised.  “You have a band too?”

“Yea, there's me, Kaito, and some of our friends…”

Miku heard a voice call out towards Kiyoteru. “Oy, Teru!  You scared her boyfriend off!”

Kiyoteru, flustered, put a hand to his glasses. “I should probably get back to my friends,” he said sheepishly, “I'll let you get back to your date.”

Now it was Miku’s turn to be embarrassed – she wasn’t on a _date!_   “K…Kaito… sorry about that…” she started to say to him…

Only to see him missing.

‘Did I make him uncomfortable?’ she thought to herself, scanning the crowd for him. ‘Ah, I just ignored him and talked to Hiyama-sempai that whole time… no wonder he ran off…’

Miku just barely caught sight of Kaito leaving through a back exit.  Curious, Miku followed him, finding a staircase. She heard footsteps but nothing else.  Despite the sudden sensation of terrible fear, her will to find Kaito drove her down the stairs…

 

“So I imagine your story of how you came to be a priestess isn’t that different from how I became a warrior,” Gakupo said. He was finally getting Luka talking and it was enlightening to hear her unique experiences.

“I lost my parents in the plague when I was six.  I joined the priest caste along with Meiko because we were a pair of busy bodies that liked to manage the orphans.”

There was that name again.  “And you?”

An easy one.  “I was 9 when the plague took my parents.  I was their only child.  Commander Lily plucked me out of an orphanage when I was 9 years old when she saw how I carried a sword.  I think she knew I wasn’t satisfied with just training and she handpicked me to serve as Kaito’s body guard when I was 16.  The first time a Spirit Caller ever had a full time bodyguard, nanny… and spy.”

That was a good segue as any… “Meiko would not have attended Kaito’s family _alone,_ Luka.”

Her pleasant attitude shrank away, replaced by melancholy.  “I’ve not a reason to distrust your intentions yet. But I must know why you’ve chosen to conceal your history from Kaito when you clearly knew him as a Seruva.”

Luka was running her finger along the edge of her empty glass.  “Let me put it this way… you two are obviously quite close.”

Gakupo tried to read more into her voice, but her melody was far too controlled, raising his suspicions. “Imagine if you risked everything to save him… but you were separated.  You'd spend every day after that worrying if he was even alive.”

He didn't have to imagine that.

“Years later you meet him again, he’s suffered through something unspeakable… and he doesn’t remember who you are.  As if someone took an eraser to his mind and wiped clean every trace of you from his life.”

There were tears on the edges of her eyes. “I spent years trying to find him and all of a sudden, there he was! And he’d been mutilated like I had… but to him, I was only a stranger. I didn't know what to say – Miku was right there! I just wanted to separate them and find some way to tell him the truth but… my courage faltered. Every time.”

“My entire life… Trying to keep him safe… And I failed. Maybe I just didn't want him to know.”

“… You need to tell him,” Gakupo said pointedly, “Kaito deserves to know his friends are being honest.”

‘I should talk,’ he thought bitterly to himself.

So Kaito had an entire person lifted out of his head.  He'd ask what kind of power could do that… but he already knew.  He himself had an uncomfortable gap from the time of Kaito's disappearance to waking up in Luka’s bed, having to rely on the accounts of others on what he’d done.

Rather, what he'd become.  Even as he'd laughed off Gumi's interrogation of his activities, the image on the flyer still haunted him. A wild-eyed creature with no concern for life. He'd try to put it behind him, to trust that Kaito had purged him.  But he still couldn't answer the question of how he'd come to such a circumstance in the first place…

Perhaps it was just retribution his _own_ crime.

“As for failing to protect him… you aren’t alone in that…” Gakupo said somberly, “So I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself. You should be proud of what you’ve become in spite of that.”

With that, he downed the rest of his sake.

 

A trap.  He’d walked into a trap.  And now, as his feet moved on their own, Kaito realized he’d vastly underestimated the power of these mysterious Heralds.  Whoever this person was, he’d found a way to slip the Dark Notes into his ear and draw him away before he could fight back. Truly, a clever opponent, turning the Seruva’s love for and sensitivity to music against him.

“Kaito?” Miku called to him from behind.

Kaito wanted to shout to Miku, to tell her to run and get Luka and Gakupo.  His jaw tensed as he tried to move his muscles, but the notes only gripped his tongue that much tighter.  His steps became shakier as his legs twitched from him trying to stop his silent march, but all it did was slightly impede his speed in descending the stairs. He felt Miku’s hands around his arm.  “Kaito, what’s wrong!?”

‘No!  Miku, RUN!’

But instead of shouting a warning, he felt compelled to grip Miku’s wrist.  “Kaito, what are you doing?! Someone, help!”

The thundering music upstairs drowned out her cries. As she struggled free herself, Kaito grabbed her and threw her down the last several steps to the floor.  ‘No!  Miku!’ _He had hurt Miku_.

Out of the musical equipment and speakers walked a man with pink hair, a black cap on his head and the telltale black wings of a Herald.  He spun a pair of katanas like toys. “So.  Spirit Caller.  Can’t believe you were dumb enough to walk in here. But I’m _glad_ to see you!”

“Who are you!?” Miku shouted, trying to get back to her feet.  Again Kaito felt the melody compel his actions, this time driving him forward to grab Miku’s arms and pin them behind her.  Inside his heart was breaking as he tried to fight back against the magic pulling him like a puppet.  “What have you done to Kaito!?” Miku yelled again.  Kaito kept hoping somehow in her constant struggling she’d break free and escape...

“Heh… it’s a pretty simple spell really.  Your boy’s my toy for now!” the man said, a cruel grin on his face, “I bury my song in the music when it gets LOUD!  They never see it coming!  Then I just… wipe you away from their minds…”

He made a sweep of his palm, making a whooshing sound with his mouth as he did so.  “As for me?  Name’s Yuma.  The Herald of Noise.”

He crossed his swords together.  “And me? I love getting off on people’s fear. So I get a REAL treat, because tonight, I get to find out what the Spirit Caller himself fears!  But you can come along for the ride…”

Right now Kaito felt frightened enough, being forced to hold Miku in his hands at the whims of a mad man.  The blades began to glow and a wave of sound collapsed around him. “Miku…” he whispered as both of them hit the floor…

“Now… how about I get the rest of your pals too?”

 

Kaito felt strong arms grabbing him and securing him in place to a metal table.  A bright light shone upon him, nearly blinding him.  He knew where he was… how had he returned!?

“Now, little birdy… sing for us.  Sing for us… or face your punishment.”

“NO!” Kaito screamed, “I won’t!  Never again!”

His body writhed back and forth as electricity flowed from the nodes attached to his chest…

 

Luka jumped as she heard the remnants of a dark melody echoing beneath the bass beats. Yet while the sound clearly appeared audible to a Seruva’s ear, not another soul in the club was disturbed.  “Gakupo!” she shouted, “Where’s Kaito?!  Where’s Miku?!”

He scanned the club in alarm, coming to the same realization as Luka.  “How could I abandon my duty so freely?!” he exclaimed.

“Ah!  That’s why everyone’s vanishing!” Luka exclaimed, “The Herald is drawing our attention away from his targets! He must have hid Kaito and Miku from our perception!”

Within seconds she’d cast her spell of concealment – obviously Gakupo couldn’t cast his own while he was still trying to hide his wings.  She tried to follow the direction she’d heard the wave in, but the loud music wasn’t helping.

But as she moved in a specific direction, the power only grew stronger.  She glanced back to Gakupo, who seemed to have pure focus in his eyes.  Though… for just a second, she thought she’d seen them flash red.

She pushed open the door to a stair well.  Just at the bottom of the steps, she saw two unconscious figures and quickened her pace.  She dared not shout – she’d only give away her position.  As she reached the bottom step, she tried to react to the sight of a man with pink hair crossing his swords before a wave of fear and Dark Notes crashed around her head.  As she fell to the floor, she realized too late the Herald had used Kaito as bait for her and Gakupo… he had already won…

 

“What have you done to them, monster?!” Gakupo shouted, leaping down from the stairs and spreading his wings wide.

The Herald stared at him with mad eyes as he crossed his blades again.  “Two pretty girls AND two gorgeous guys!  It’s like a buffet!”

Gakupo felt a wave of Dark Notes rush over his body, tearing at his mind.  He stumbled momentarily, but retained his balance.  Clearly, this surprised his opponent, who looked frustrated.  “The hell!?  You’re bein’ a stubborn asshole!”

Another wave rocketed towards him and Gakupo raised his weapon as he tried to hold his ground.  But as the Dark Notes clawed at his mind, he felt a rush of energy inside of him, a wild melody emerging in his own heart granting him strength.  He looked up and glared at Yuma.  “Release them,” Gakupo threatened, “Kaito is a far more forgiving person than I am.”

Yuma let out a whistle.  “Well, whatever the hell you are… you’re still standing.  Not bad.”

Without warning, he charged through the air with his blades whirling around him.  “So!  Are you a warrior… or a WANNABE!”

Such a simple parry was one of the first moves Gakupo had learned under Lily’s tutelage.  He repelled Yuma with ease, stepping forward and swinging his single blade at him.  Though Yuma had him outnumbered by weapons, Gakupo of course had studied for years in how to deflect any number of combat techniques.  For all of Yuma’s bluster, while he was clearly a practiced warrior, he was not an advanced one.

“You once trained as a Seruva warrior yourself!” Gakupo shouted, a smirk on his face, “Not for long I see.”

Yuma’s expression soured as he tried to break Gakupo’s defenses.  “How the hell are you resisting me?!  Those Dark Notes are bouncing all around your head, you should be gettin’ devoured just like those losers over there!”

“Perhaps I have ‘samurai spirit!’” Gakupo quipped.

But Yuma had a point – even though he’d somehow stopped the Noise from trapping him as at had his other friends who writhed in agony upon the floor, he still felt the discordant notes trying to penetrate his consciousness.  As he stole a worried glance to Kaito, the time element became more apparent.  A black aura surrounded him and Miku, growing more powerful by the second.  How long did he have before Kaito was “devoured”?

“Oooo hooo HOOO!  You’re not stuck in a dream with it, but I can still read your mind!  The Dark Notes are dishing all kinds of dirt on YOUR fears!”

“So you feed off fears… foul wretch!” Gakupo shouted.

“Don’t worry, yours is GOOD!  You really hated the Elders, didn’t you!?  And… and… oh wow, this getting good!  You tried to stop them… and you _screwed it up_.  It’s all your fault your precious Kaito got his wings ripped off!”

Gakupo tried to ignore Yuma’s taunts, knowing full well the weaker opponent was attempting to even the odds using psychological warfare.  “Ahahaha, and you know what?!  Right now, I can see his fear, and you know what it is?!  Getting tortured in a lab all over again!  And it never would have happened if it weren't for you…”

He felt a force rage inside of him as Yuma kept taunting him.  Begging him to unleash it, to destroy the person taunting him and tormenting Kaito.

“Gakupo! How could you hurt me like this?!  I trusted you!” Yuma said, Kaito’s voice emerging clearly from his lips.

And then it boiled over.  He felt nothing but pure fury as he soared across the room at blinding speed.  His fury demanded he tear apart the Herald in front of him.  Yuma clearly hadn’t expected this and suddenly he was trying to defend himself against a truly violent opponent.  But Gakupo’s concern for his life had vanished as he tried to impale Yuma on his talons…

_Why did he have talons?!_

Gakupo forced himself back, trying to calm the storm inside of him and staring at his hands in shock.  He finally realized the black feathers falling through the air were _his_ … he drew his sword and caught just a glimpse of his face in the blade.  Seeing those horrible red eyes and markings chilled him…

“And you… had the balls to call ME a monster… what the hell are you supposed to be?!”

The energy he’d relied on to hold off the Dark Notes was not “samurai spirit” or some other boon, but simply another equally dangerous force twisting and turning him.  It cared not whether he or Yuma survived. Yuma laughed in spite of his beating and spelled out what Gakupo had realized for himself.

“You didn’t fall for my discord because _there’s already Noise inside of you._ ”

His hands were shaking… he could feel his mind blacking out, the rage begging him to release himself entirely.  But he knew what happened the last time this power overtook him… He had to fight it off, he had to regain his sanity before he attacked Kaito again…

Yuma took advantage of Gakupo’s sudden weakness to charge at him, trying to disarm him with a whirling dervish.  Gakupo could just barely fend him off when he was trying to suppress so many voices in his head firing off at the same time.  All the while, Yuma continued to taunt the warrior.  “Tengu!  Yokai!  Shinigami!” Miku’s voice.  “Gakupo!  Please, please don’t kill me!” Kaito’s voice. “Gakupo… how can anyone trust you when this is your true form!?”  For some reason, hearing Luka’s voice upset him _more_.

“No…” he whispered through gritted teeth.  He was _not_ a monster, no matter what happened to him.

Even if he could only reclaim his mind, he had to try something.  His body was being wrenched apart by two conflicting dark melodies.  Perhaps if he performed a melody of his own… he summoned his second voice…

_“Wearing eyeliner and mascara, to get into a stylish bar, clad in a suit, I waited for you…”_

“Ah ha ha!  You think you're going to stop me with cheesy pop songs?”

The pleasant memories of working on costumes, of bonding with another person who understood devastating failure, her lovely voice as her sweet memories of a favored song danced within the melody she sang… 

Yuma charged Gakupo with both blades extended, only to be met by a perfect parry.  The Herald next attempted a magical sonic boom but Gakupo easily sliced through it with Miburi.  He couldn’t seem to force his body back to the way it was, but staying attentive to his own song granted his mind peace.  The shockwaves from Yuma’s attack diverged around him, sending the speakers flying… along with a thin black box…

“How are you doing this?! You have no purpose!  You FAILED!”

Gakupo glared at his foe. “A true warrior can always find another purpose,” he said simply.

Finally, the Herald of fear looked frightened himself as the mighty tengu approached with all of his heavenly fury.  With a swift slice of his blade, Gakupo managed to knock a sword away from Yuma.  It clattered to the floor, yet still he remained utterly focused on performing his song to drive back the evil in his own heart...

 

_“A variety of cocktails, the candles on the table, erasing the confusion…”_

When the Dark Notes swallowed Luka, she'd found herself back in the institution. Her heart filled with doubt and loneliness.  Her wrists bleeding as she lay weakly on the floor, still clutching the razor blade, assured she would die alone as refuse like her deserved...

Until a lovely, familiar voice pierced her consciousness, performing the song she loved so dearly. Luka clutched the melody tight in her heart as if it were an escape rope. 

She snapped awake on the floor of the basement.  As her consciousness returned to her, she still felt some dizziness and had trouble focusing.  Clutching her uninjured wrists, she was aware that Gakupo was fighting. As her vision returned, she saw his wildly altered features and realized what had happened to him.  But his steady melody, still ringing out around her, convinced her that he was still sane if not normal.  Much more pressing, Miku and Kaito were surrounded by black auras, their bodies slowly losing all color – even their bright clothes and hair was turning to shades of grey.  Looking around her, she saw a sword lying close by… and a black box emanating Dark Notes.

She focused her mind on Gakupo's voice to center herself – the horrible nightmare kept trying to pull her back in.  ‘I didn’t die that day…’ she thought to herself, ‘So I can save them… today!’

Grasping the sword’s hilt in both hands, she thrust it towards the box.  As sparks began to fly from it, she felt the Dark Notes vanish from her heart.  She turned to Kaito and Miku and to her delight, the black auras around them vanished and their colors returned.

The Herald let out a cry. “No!  How the hell did you do that?!  What are you people?!”

“… I'm the Spirit Caller’s bodyguard,” Gakupo said.

“… And I'm the Spirit Caller.”

Though Kaito was clearly still weak, trying to cast his ballad while trying to prop himself up off the floor with one hand, his strong voice echoed as Yuma was surrounded by light.  No matter what state Kaito was in, his powerful ballad prevented any escape. The violent, wicked Herald suddenly adopted a tranquil expression.  He dropped his remaining weapon as the light consumed him.

“Spirit Caller… You free us… At the cost of your own freedom…”

Soon Yuma was entirely gone.  Luka rushed to the side of her dear friend, Miku. The poor girl looked near tears… she was still sitting on the floor, trembling.  ‘Who knows what nightmare she’s just had…’ Luka thought to herself.  Miku took several breaths, attempting to appear calmer. “I'll be okay, sempai, I p-p-promise…” she said, the fragile notes in her voice betraying her show of strength.

Luka helped her to her feet.  “It's over now…” she said, “Gakupo saved all of us.”

Luka turned to face the purple haired warrior. He still had his back to the rest of his friends, but his wings were pure white.  He appeared to be holding up his sword to examine something.  “Gakupo…” Miku said, “thank you for saving my life.”

He put his sword away, clicking his tongue as he finally turned to look over the people he'd just rescued.  “It was a worthy battle… But it was Luka that felled the Herald.”

His eyes were a solid blue, his face clear, and his hands of normal size and shape.  “How did you resist him?” Kaito asked softly.

Gakupo hesitated in answering the question.  “He sang like an angel,” Luka said with a playful smile, “He even chose my favorite song from my favorite movie… I followed it out of the nightmare and smashed the Noise Generator myself.”

And just like that, his cockiness returned.  “Hmph, well he was a loud-mouthed idiot, in the end…”

Before any more words passed between the group, the room filled with brilliant light.  Luka shielded her eyes.  As it faded, to her shock, fifteen people lay upon the floor.  Slowly they were coming back to consciousness.  “They all must have been victims of Yuma!” Luka exclaimed.

She heard a short note and glanced over to Gakupo’s corner but the young man was nowhere to be seen.  She realized that might not be such a bad idea… it wouldn’t do for the lot of them to be seen down here.  Still clutching the sword she’d stolen from Yuma, she covered herself in magic.  “Kaito… you can take care of Miku, right?”

He nodded slowly.  “Fine then… we’ll meet up tomorrow.”

As Luka began to make her way out, she saw Miku bend over a girl with long white hair who’d begun to awaken ahead of the others.  “Please… tell me… where am I?” the girl asked.

“… we all just escaped from a terrible person,” Miku said, “He used a nerve gas on us.”

The girl looked to Kaito.  He gave her a reassuring smile.  “It’s all safe now.  You can go home.”

 

Kaito sat on his folded-out futon with Miku huddled close to him.  Her experience tonight seemed to have quieted her normally happy demeanor.  She appeared afraid to speak.

As tired as he was, his worry for Miku kept him awake.  She needed someone, and he was willing to be that someone for her, his heart remained weighed down by the incredible guilt for the role he’d played.  “I'm sorry…” he finally said.

Miku looked at him in curiosity.  “Why are you sorry?” she asked.

He had trouble meeting her gaze.  “For not being strong enough to stop him…” Kaito said, “For hurting you… for… for bringing these awful dangers into your life…”

She stared at her hands.  “I’m just so weak… you and Gakupo and Luka have all those powers and… I’m just a girl tagging along…” she said, “I keep wanting to protect you like I promised and… and…”

It gave Kaito some comfort that those words she’d shouted to him when he was so close to death were more than empty comforts for a dying man.  Yet after what happened tonight, Kaito wished he could have protected _her._

Miku clutched her knees close to her chest.  “That guy… he made you see something terrible, didn’t he?”

Of course?  How could he forget?  One moment he’d been in the basement with Yuma taunting him, the next he was back in the lab.  Needles and electric shocks and so many different kinds of torture followed by demands that he perform his ballads.  Having his wings sheared off by Big Al and Sweet Ann.  Being treated as “scrap.”

“I… I lost my parents again…” Miku said, her voice and notes shaking.

Kaito returned his attention to the fragile girl.  “Your fear?”

A soft nod.  “I… I never told you… the whole story about that boy.”

She took several deep breaths.  “Miku… you don’t have to if it’s too hard for you,” Kaito said.

But the girl seemed like she _needed_ to share her burden, if only to be free of it.  When she spoke, he heard far more control in her melody than when Miku normally talked.  “That day, my parents and I held a picnic up on a big hill, right on the coast,” she said, “We’d just moved to our house Tsubasa City the week before.   It… had a yard and… a pool… and… everything.”

Miku’s eyes were shut, as if for a moment she wanted to mentally walk through that long lost home of hers.  “But on the way home… we were on this really narrow road and… and… this truck didn’t even stop…”

Tears began to fall from her eyes.  “When it hit us… I was thrown from the car… that’s the only reason I survived… my… my parents were…”

All of a sudden, Kaito felt as if he could do something more for Miku besides just listen to her.  He remembered how Meiko comforted him when he was told his mother died while he was unconscious from the attempt on his life.  The once kind girl allowed him to cry his heart out in her arms for hours.  Just the touch of another person granted him the security of something strong to cling to when his world felt so fragile.  But… he didn’t know Miku that well… would she appreciate it?  He didn’t want to hurt her _more_ …

Kaito tentatively reached for Miku, lightly placing a hand on her shoulder.  Suddenly she spun around and clutched him tightly, sobbing into his chest. “I’ve always been scared of falling…” she said, “When I dream about it… I just remember him catching me and flying with me and singing to me… and it’s so wonderful because everything else that happened was so horrible…”

He took a chance and placed his arms around Miku as she clung to him. “And that Yuma… he tried to make me scared of it… I kept falling and falling, and I’d hit the ground, and then I’d start falling again… there was nobody there… I was all alone…”

Miku took a few breaths, trying to compose herself but still not releasing Kaito.  “I… I just want to find him again… I want him to know I never stopped believing in him… that I got stronger and I’m okay…”

As Kaito and Miku continued to hold each other, he realized he’d never been this close to another person before, and it both thrilled and frightened him.  He hadn't ever had real friends besides beside Meiko, Gakupo and…

For a moment, a phantom memory seemed to fly through his head.  That he and Meiko had another friend in the happier days before his mother’s passing.  But then it was gone.

Regardless, Miku was here right now, and he was finally able to do something for her instead of relying on her to do everything for him.  Yet, as awful as it was knowing what had happened to her, how she came to be saved by a Seruva… more than ever, Kaito wished it really had been him, soaring through the clouds with Miku in his arms.

 

Luka had given Gakupo space on the way home.  Apparently Kaito and Miku had been too out of it when they awoke to notice he’d transformed again.  And miraculously, Kaito’s ballad appeared to have driven his darkness away.

But his absolute silence told her that he was _not_ fine with that.

As they entered the apartment and he wordlessly marched towards the door to the bedroom, Luka’s voice stopped him entirely.  “Gakupo… I saw what you looked like.  During the fight.  Why didn’t you tell Kaito?”

Though he didn’t enter the bedroom, he didn’t seem eager to speak of it.  Finally, he grew cross. “Because I don’t know how it happened.”

She hadn’t known him very long… trying to read his true feelings behind the confidant persona he’d constructed remained a constant puzzle.  “Why didn’t _you_ tell Kaito?” he finally asked, “You covered for me.”

“I didn’t lie,” she said frankly, “I simply omitted that you changed your form.  You still saved our lives, did you not?”

She tried to smile warmly at him, hoping to reassure him.  “And your voice _did_ save me, Gakupo.  If you hadn’t sang… I would still be lying on the floor in my old institution with blood running out of my hands.”

Reliving her lowest moment, to the point that she could even hear the hum of the A/C unit in her old bedroom, had been utterly horrifying to the girl.  She hoped that maybe by sharing such a dark secret, she could prove to Gakupo that she trusted him.

He looked at her in shock that turned to sympathy.  “I won’t ask the circumstances…” he said.

He seemed to calm somewhat, though he still seemed uncharacteristically quiet.  Finally, he broke their silence with an odd question.  “Luka… if you ever wanted to fly again… I can’t grant you your wings back… but I’d be willing to take you up.”

He coughed as he realized how intimately he’d phrased his request. “I merely wish to… make amends for what the caste committed against you.”

Luka didn’t know how to answer at first.  She loved high places in the city, tall buildings and towers. But to let another person carry her through the sky, taking her so tantalizingly close to that which she had once lost?

“I… I’d like to think it over.”

Gratefully, Gakupo appeared understanding.  “Whenever you like… it’s a standing offer.”

As he began to enter the bedroom, he stopped short of the door.  “I’ll tell Kaito everything tomorrow,” he said calmly, “Perhaps he has a way to… resolve this problem.”

And just like that, the door was shut tight.  Luka began to sit on the couch, thinking of the time she’d spent with him.  They’d talked so freely of so many things close to them.  She’d never been able to speak of her old life so plainly to anyone. Sure he was a little odd, but that just made him good company.

She smiled.  Perhaps when the district calmed down again, she could show him what a _real_ night on the town was…

‘Of course, we wouldn’t go unless we were on a…’

She chided herself.  She’d know this man for barely a week.  And yet… if he wasn’t interested in Kaito the way she thought he was…

Her heart was restless. Sleep would not come easily.  She looked to her sewing machine and remembered how close she was to finishing the costumes…

 

Gakupo lay on his back staring at the ceiling.  He still had no memories of how he’d come to have Dark Notes in his heart.  Now he knew that somehow they were still there and the right circumstances could draw them out.

He stared at his hands.  Right now they were normal.  Would they stay that way?

Gakupo was grateful that Kaito had been unconscious when Yuma attempted to torment him with his secrets.  The Herald’s impression of Kaito had rattled the warrior more than becoming a monster had.

Perhaps he could have trusted Luka with the truth.  She’d started to reveal her own secrets, and he’d found her nothing but sympathetic.  His invitation to her had been rather impulsive – he wanted to do something for her to make her life easier.  And he had to admit… she’d become a compelling person.

To suddenly go from having only one person in his heart to two… perhaps Gakupo was not nearly as loyal as he’d thought. 

As he remembered that horrible day, when he’d forced his way into a prayer vigil only to find Kaito’s broken, nearly lifeless body, when he’d seen the very people who pushed him to this state only upset that the Spirit Caller would be out of work rather than upset they’d risked his life…

… Gakupo knew he would make the same choice _again_.  Without hesitation. And next time… he would get it right.  _This time_ Kaito would be safe.

Anyone would follow his path for the sake of someone they loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my, do we have the emergence of another love triangle?  We’re going to need a diagram at this point!
> 
> So there’s a good chance you’re a live in a country where you’re wondering why 18-year-old Miku is nervous about not really being an adult.  In Japan, the age of majority (i.e. when you can drink, smoke, and vote) is actually 20.  There is even an official holiday for the coming of age ceremony where 20 year olds gather at government offices and basically attend a graduation ceremony. Yet again, Japanese culture intersected perfectly with a story arc I was going to do anyway.
> 
> Where it did NOT intersect perfectly was everything about the night club.  The Japanese night scene is very different from what I’m used to.  I finally had to put up my hands and lean on my “get out of authenticity free” lore that Tsubasa City is rather Westernized and the club likely caters to tourists.  I still tried to sneak in things like pre-buying drinks at the door though.
> 
> “Karasu” means “crow.” Hmm, wonder why I picked that?
> 
> I actually did some method writing and deliberately tried a few different kinds of sake when I was working on this chapter to have a better idea of how to describe the taste.   Sake doesn’t really have a uniform taste though and there’s many, many varieties, so I just picked one that I was assured would probably show up in a Westernized night club in Japan.  Also, it’s something of a Japanese media trope that samurai favor sake over any other type of alcohol… hence why Luka figured out Gakupo would take to it.  Not that she would tell that to our burgeoning samurai otaku when he’s on the job!
> 
> All four of the main characters are wearing clothing from various Vocaloid PVs.  Gakupo and Luka are dressed up from “Kiss”, Miku is wearing her Honey Whip module from Project Diva, and Kaito and Kiyoteru are both wearing their outfits from the “Welcome to Club Airly” PV (also what I named the club itself after).
> 
>  **Song Credits** : The one song I featured over and over was, naturally, “[Sweets and Bitters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xwxz4p4pjU).”  The translation is once again courtesy of Gakupo superfan Narumo. Actually, a few months back, I asked for some help finding Lukapo duets, and this chapter was why. Originally the plan was for them to learn the song singing karaoke, when I realized Japanese clubs don’t have karaoke at all!  It probably would have been a little _too_ silly anyway.


	7. Flowers Bloom in the Night Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito and Gakupo pass their trials, and now they’re official Vocaloids! As Miku looks for ways to become more useful in helping Kaito deal with the threat of Heralds, she’s also excited by a trip to the upcoming fireworks festival! But she’s not the only one – more than one Vocaloid seems to think the hanabi is the perfect time to make a move on their crush. But the threat of the Noise cares not for the trifles of humans or their festivals…

_ _

_“Miku, I like you!  I really like you!  And… will you be my girlfriend?!”_

_The gentle laughter of the tealette made Len nervous at first.  “Oh Len, of course I will!  I was just waiting for you to ask!”_

_She rushed forward and put her arms around the boy and Len’s heart beat with pride.  He’d finally confessed to Miku and she loved him back!  Why had he waited so long anyway?!_

Len’s pleasant dream was interrupted by the sounds of someone banging around their townhouse.  As he heard a few small sobs, he quickly pieced together what was going on outside his bedroom door.  Leaving his bedroom and descending the stairs, he saw Rin curled up on the couch, crying quietly into one of the cushions.

The last step creaked, drawing her attention to her brother’s descent down the stairs. “I didn’t mean to wake you up…” she said, her eyes red and damp.

“You dreamed about Oliver again, didn’t you?” he asked.

A soft bob of her head confirmed Len’s guess.   He took a seat opposite his sister on the couch. “I feel so guilty…” Rin said, “I made Kaito my big brother but… Oliver was my REAL big brother when he was alive…”

Len smiled softly. “I’m sure he’d be happy to share you with another ‘big brother’, Rin.”

She nodded, drying the tears from her face.  “Sorry I’m still such a… such a baby!”

“Eh, I’m sure you’ll grow out of it in like another twenty years or so, _big sis._ ”

Len ducked as a pillow flew through the air in his general direction.  “You need to learn to respect your elders!” Rin laughed, smiling in spite of her tears.

It wasn’t long before the two siblings were engaged all-out pillow warfare.  As they finally wore out, they leaned back on the couch to catch their breaths.  “I… I wonder if Kaito-niisan came up with his reason yet…” Rin said.

Len laughed.  “I’m still interested in _Gakupo’s_.  He’s so weird…”

Rin leaned forward, her cheeks puffing up with annoyance.  “Where do you think they went off to without us tonight?! I wanted to go to a movie…”

Len shook his head.  “Beats me…” he said, “I still don’t buy their stories… something’s fishy about Kaito AND Gakupo…”

“…maybe they’re off having double dates!” Rin proclaimed.

Len almost fell off the couch as he imagined Miku snuggling in Kaito’s arms.  “Aw, why’d you have to put that in my head?!”

“Len, you can’t give up!” Rin said, shaking her finger, “You gotta tell Miku before it’s too late!”

Len let out a sigh.  “Fine, fine… but how am I supposed to do that when Kaito’s always around?”

Rin fell silent in thought.  In a few moments, she snapped her fingers.  “I know!  We’re going hanabi, right?!” Rin said, “I’ll ask Kaito-niisan to watch the fireworks with me, and you can ask Miku! It’ll be soooo romantic… love under the fireworks…”

Len had a mischievous grin all of a sudden.  “I didn’t know you were into Kaito, Rin… isn’t he a bit _old_ for you?”

Another pillow smacked Len in the face.

 

Miku couldn't help but smile at Kaito’s nervous expression as he stood in front of the assembled Vocaloids.  He appeared as though he were about to be shot by a firing squad.  “Okay, Kaito!” Miku said, “You go first, then Gakupo!”

“Ever since I came to Tsubasa City, I've felt like my life started over. So my reason for joining Vocaloids is to make myself into a new person!”

For all his nerves, Kaito was quite confident when he spoke of his reason.  Miku, Luka, Rin, and Len all huddled together.

“Ahhhh!  Kaito-niisan has such a thoughtful goal!”

“Gotta give the guy credit, that’s pretty ambitious!”

“He's so serious… what a lovely ideal…”

“Hee hee… I think he's passed if you guys do!”

The quartet broke their huddle. “Okay Kaito!  You passed!” Miku announced.

Now it was Gakupo's turn.  As he faced the group, he had a serious expression on his face.  “I spent a great deal of time contemplating this ritual,” Gakupo stated, “but last night I had a revelation. My reason… is self-discovery!”

“So your reason… is you don’t have a reason!?” Len shouted.

‘Last night?’ Miku thought to herself, ‘But he was fighting _Yuma_ last night…’

She looked to Luka who shrugged – apparently he’d not told her either.  “As I was saying,” Gakupo continued, “Before I spent my life obsessed with a single duty, and recently came to terms with having failed it.  But last night, I came to realize that there is no more noble pursuit than to chase one’s true destiny!”

Again the group huddled together.  “He sounded so passionate…” Miku said, “I wonder when he came up with that?”

“What the heck DID you guys get up to last night?” Len asked.

Luka ignored the question entirely.  “Gakupo was working on that all week,” she said, “He took our initiation completely seriously.”

“I… I think…” Rin stammered.  All eyes fell on her and she made a little noise.  “I think it’s a beautiful reason!  M-m-m-maybe… even better than Kaito-niisan’s!  It comes from his heart!”

Miku was surprised to see Rin give such an impassioned defense of Gakupo.  Maybe she was finally starting to get over her fears of him? “Well… does that count as a pass or not?” Miku said, “I mean, I think he passed.”

“Passed!” Luka said with a smile.

“P… passed!” Rin said, still shaking.

All eyes were on Len.  “What?!  I’m fine with it… it’s not a hack job at least.”

Again the group broke their huddle and faced Gakupo.  “That’s another passed initiation!” Miku announced, “So now we finally have an even group!”

Gakupo’s triumphant laughter rang out around him.  “All right, what is our next course of action?”

Luka cheerfully produced two boxes, handing one each to Kaito and Gakupo.  Kaito pulled the lid off of his and his face brightened.  “You finished them!” he shouted, pulling out a new, sleek white coat.

“If you want to put them on right now, you can…” Luka said, “Or you can wait and…”

Before she even finished her sentence, Gakupo was dashing off to the men’s room, his new samurai clothes tight in his hands.  “I… I’ll go change too…” Kaito said, “Since you worked so hard on them.”

After a few moments, the duo emerged in their new uniforms.  “AH!  Kaito-niisan, you look so handsome!” Rin squealed.

In the tighter, fancier coat and pants, Kaito looked downright regal, the trinkets on the uniform glinting in the sun and the long translucent scarf carried dramatically by the wind.  “Yea, Kaito, not bad!” Len chimed in, “What do you think Miku?”

“He’s… beautiful…” Miku whispered.

She caught herself.  “The costume!  It’s beautiful!”

Before Miku was asked to explain herself, Gakupo leapt through the air dramatically, slashing his sword as he hit the ground, his white and purple jinbaori flapping in the air and the sunlight shining brightly off the reflective markings on his body suit. Miku yelped and jumped back, half expecting to see feathers flying though his wings were still concealed.  Rin and Len had ducked for cover behind the amphitheater bleachers.

Apparently the only two people unphased were Kaito and Luka, the latter of whom began clapping.  “Well!  I guess I made the right allowances for samurai acrobatics!”

Gakupo rose to his feet, wearing a stern expression that Miku realized she’d seen on an old samurai film poster.  He dramatically sheathed his sword.  “Another unworthy opponent,” he muttered.

 

Practice for the original four Vocaloids continued after that as normal, though Miku found herself having trouble staying focused.  After the previous night’s madness, the façade of normality eluded her.  Not that Len or Rin knew, as their scoldings showed. Naturally, the ever-perfect Luka showed not a hint of concern at her experience.  As she engaged in her effortless dances, Miku envied her.  Nothing could upset someone so perfectly at peace.

When practice broke, Miku, Rin, Len, and Luka put their hands out.  Miku looked up and beckoned to Kaito and Gakupo.  “Come on, you’re Vocaloids now!  You gotta do it too!” she insisted.

Miku’s heart raced when she felt Kaito’s hand on top of hers.  To the point where she was probably a half second late shouting “Vocaloids!”

“Hey!  We should see a movie together!” Rin suggested, “Like the one about the huge umbrella covering the world!”

“Awww… that’s just gonna be sappy,” Len groaned, “Can’t we go see the one about the cool sniper girl?”

Miku looked to her other three friends and realized the four of them needed to talk.  About their _other_ business.  She turned to Rin and Len to provide an easy excuse.  “Tell you what…” Miku said, “You two decide on the movie, and we’ll go tonight.”

Rin’s face fell.  “Aww… but I thought it’d be fun to go right after practice!”

“Whatever,” Len said a little gruffly, “We’ll text you the movie.”

As the group drifted apart, Miku felt pangs of guilt trying to keep the Kagamines out of her business.  ‘I know, I know, it’s for their safety…’ she thought to herself, ‘But we never kept secrets like this before… and they’re already figuring out something’s wrong… they’re not geniuses for nothing…’

Miku took another peek at Kaito, who still wore his handsome Vocaloid costume.  His confidant pace seemed to show that just wearing it was boosting his self-image.  She tried to stop from blushing, but between the dashing costume and her memories of being held by him the night before… it wasn’t easy controlling so many emotions.  Somehow, just feeling his embrace helped her move past those awful thoughts Yuma bombarded her with…

‘Kaito must think I’m some fragile little girl… how can he possibly trust me to protect him?’

 

“So… I trust after last night we all know how dangerous these Heralds really are.”

All of the cheer in Luka’s persona had faded as she spoke to the group of people around her in her apartment.  Kaito and Miku sat at her kitchen table.  Gakupo, his wings fully visible but still folded, was leaning with his right arm propping himself against the glass patio door, looking out at the parking lot.

“So… do we have any idea where to find the next one?” Miku asked.

Luka shook her head.  “I’ve told my contact to keep searching for more incidents like at Club Airly…” she said.

She bent her head slightly to peer at Gakupo.  She knew how much stress he was under… his voice carried notes of fear and doubt all day, even during his bold proclamation of purpose in the park. 

“There’s no doubt that man I fought was a Seruva warrior at some point,” he said without prompting, “But I’ve never met or heard of this man before.”

“…I’d never heard of Haku either…” Kaito admitted.

“So the only person we’ve fought so far that’s still here is Gakupo…” Miku said.

At that everyone fell silent.  Gakupo had not turned away from surveying the lot, though Luka noticed his muscles tense up.  He seemed to be grappling with what he needed to say.  She wasn’t used to him having difficulty talking.  “There’s… also one more matter…” Luka said, hoping to encourage him.

Clearly he understood who she was talking to.  Without turning his head, he began to speak.  “There’s the matter of my still being possessed.”

“What?!” Kaito exclaimed, “But… But I purified you!  You’re fine right now!”

Though he didn’t turn his head, Luka observed Gakupo’s fist clenching tighter.  “Right now… the dissonant melody is calm,” he said, “But that dissonance is what allowed me to repel Yuma… at the cost of… my starting to change again…”

‘Of course this is hard…’ Luka thought. She pitied Gakupo for having to confess such weakness.   ‘A warrior is supposed to be impenetrable.’

“I’ll sing the ballad again!” Kaito insisted, “Maybe I just didn’t sing it right, you were the first person I ever cast it on!”

Gakupo bowed his head in acquiescence.  Kaito, a look of determination on his face began to perform that familiar melody.  For a few moments, the room was only filled with the sound of his soft voice.  When he finished, he looked to Gakupo for some response.

“It’s difficult to judge its effectiveness without a Herald around...” the warrior said solemnly.

He turned his head to Kaito, wearing a reassuring smile.  “But for now… I hear no dissonance.  I appreciate your efforts, Kaito,” he said, sounding relieved even as a few more doubtful notes slipped through his voice.

Maybe spending so much time around him was giving Luka better insights into the enigmatic man than when they’d first met.  He wasn’t one to speak frankly about himself, so she’d started getting used to searching the melodies as he spoke for hints of his true feelings.  “I’m sorry it didn’t work the first time,” Kaito said, sounding apologetic.

Luka noted Miku’s long period of silence.  Of course Miku’s difficulty in navigating their practice sessions earlier had not gone unnoticed.  “Miku, is there something else bothering you?” Luka asked politely, “After everything that happened last night…”

Miku pounded the table with her fist.  “I’m just so useless to you guys!” she said, “I was just a useless load!”

Kaito’s face saddened as he watched Miku’s sorrowful expression.  “That wasn’t your fault,” he said, the guilty notes weighing his speech, “It… it was mine. I failed to fortify my mind and… he had no trouble using me to hurt you.”

“So what?” Miku said, hanging her head, “Even if he hadn’t done that, what could I have done?  I can’t fight like you guys, I don’t have any magic…”

Finally, Gakupo seemed to energize as an idea took hold over him. “So you’re saying is you simply wish to enter a battlefield with confidence.”

Kaito snapped his fingers as he realized what Gakupo was hinting at.  “Miku, maybe Gakupo could teach you how to fight!” he said, “He taught me everything I know about defensive combat… sure it’d be different for a human, but you’d still get stronger!”

“Me… fight like you?”

Miku still appeared nervous as she sized up Gakupo.  “I possess a spare weapon,” he continued, “Luka claimed a ‘souvenir’ of the last battle, I could teach you to wield it!”

The girl seemed to be interested but still hesitant.  Luka thought a few encouraging words could push her over the top.  “Miku, your dancing skills are second to none,” she said, “This would be simple for you!”

“Unless… what you’re saying is you don’t want to do this anymore,” Kaito said.

Miku slammed her hands on the table again. Somehow, Kaito’s sad tone energized Miku more than Luka’s pep talk.  “No, I made a promise!” she said, rising to her feet, “Gakupo, I’m ready to start when you are!”

Luka found herself elated to hear the loud, vibrant notes of Gakupo’s laughter again.  “Well, no time like the present!”

“Wait, what?!” Miku exclaimed, but before she knew it she had a sword in her hands and Gakupo was marching her to the patio. “But… we’re still in our costumes and – ”

Before Miku could protest, Gakupo had scooped her up in his arms and leapt from the patio, taking flight.  “I’m always dressed for battle!” he shouted as they zoomed up to the roof.

As the room fell silent, Luka realized this was the first time since she’d been reunited with Kaito that she’d been left alone with him.  She recalled Gakupo’s advice the previous night. She _could_ say something but…

“Luka… does it ever get easier?” Kaito asked.

… right now she just wanted him to trust her.

“… last night I dreamt I was… flying again.  I was showing Miku what the world looked like from the sky.”

Kaito had his eyes closed, reliving that momentary dream as best as he could.  “Then… I woke up… and felt the bed on my back.  I… I realized it could never happen...”

He looked up at Luka.  “I didn’t want to tell Miku…” he continued, “I don’t want her to worry about me anymore than she already does… but… I thought maybe, you’d understand.”

Luka enviously watched a sparrow alight on a tree branch.  “You never forget flying.  It’s always with you.”

He needed to hear more than that.  “I’ve coped by remembering the life I created on the Earth.  I wouldn’t give up being with Miku, Rin, and Len ever again.”

She began to approach him at the table, trying to maintain a solid voice.  “It should be easier for you,” she said, “You have Miku supporting you.  She doesn’t give up on anyone.”

She took a seat across from him, holding her head in her hands.  “You know, this whole Vocaloids idea was Miku’s,” Luka reminisced, “The Kagamines and I transferred into the Academy the same week. We barely knew each other, but Miku… she wanted to start a band. And apparently… we were _perfect._ Some student at the previous culture festival inspired her…”

“Oh!  Miku found him last!” Kaito said, “I think his name was… Hiyama?”

Now _there_ was a name she hadn’t heard in a long time.  “Hiyama Kiyoteru?” Luka asked.

“Miku really admired him.”

Luka had to stop from giggling when she realized she’d heard just the hints of jealous notes in Kaito’s voice.  “He and I lived in the same institution in Nagoya,” Luka explained, “He sang when he was lonely… so he sang a lot, really.”

Luka rubbed her wrists.  “I heard he’d come to Tsubasa City when he was adopted. He was older than me… he must have graduated before I started school there.”

“Well, it sounds like he’s teaching now, but he said something about performing at something called a ‘hanabi’?”

Luka clapped her hands together.  “Oh!  You and Gakupo have never seen a real summer festival!”

Kaito looked interested.  “How do these work down here?” Kaito said, “Are they anything like ours?!”

Luka’s heart sang with the memories. “Oh, it’s just a rush of new exciting things!  They build all these stalls with all kinds of different food and games and…”

“Ooo!  Are you telling Kaito about the hanabi!?”

Miku and Gakupo re-entered the apartment. Miku looked exhausted, but Gakupo was barely winded. “I… I’m just grabbing a water bottle,” Miku wheezed, “I’m not giving up yet!”

“Miku’s not doing so bad with the nestling training,” Gakupo said.

“Nestling?” Miku asked before greedily gulping down liquid refreshment.

“That’s our word for children!” Gakupo laughed, “Children learn what I’m teaching you!”

Miku stuck her tongue out at him.  “Anywayyy… yea, Kaito, they make all kinds of awesome food there!”

“Ice cream?!” Kaito said, sounding excited.

“Oh come on, there’s more to the world than ice cream!” she said, “But yea, they’ll have that too.  Oh you’d love the snow cones I bet!”

“And then there’s a rock band that plays right before they start the fireworks show!” Luka added.

“What?!” Gakupo seemed concerned. “Humans set things ablaze for festivals!??”

“You don’t have fireworks where you’re from!?”

Miku sounded positively shocked.  “Ah!  How do I describe them… they’re like… they’re like…”

“Sky flowers…” Luka said whimsically.

Now Kaito looked as excited as Miku.  “I can’t wait to go!” he shouted.

“So is there some kind of dress for this?” Gakupo asked, “In Seruva festivals, we usually put on ceremonial clothes.”

“Oh yea!” Miku said, “We have to get yukatas for you and Kaito!”

“Oh?  Luka didn’t just sew one?” Gakupo asked.

“Well _maybe_ if I wasn’t sewing samurai clothes this year too,” she said with a playful wink.

“Why don’t I just wear _these_ to the festival?” Gakupo asked, “Surely the humans would marvel in the presence of a proper samurai!”

“Even the mighty samurai wears a yukata,” Luka teased.

The way his melody danced with hers… clearly, even if their dialog were going over Miku and Kaito’s head… from the melody in his voice he seemed to be catching on quite quickly.

The next two weeks to the hanabi would be very interesting indeed…

 

As the days passed, Miku’s excitement over the upcoming fireworks festival could barely be contained.  She’d never had the chance to show it off to someone who’d never seen it before, and she just knew Kaito would love it.  She couldn’t wait to teach him how to scoop for goldfish, or the look in his eyes the first time he saw the sky light up…

And now she was even working on teaching Kaito how to dance like a human.  He seemed to be a fast learner, and he loved to move around.  He picked up on her choreography for his songs rather quickly, and he was always filled with gratitude for her help.

Of course, Miku’s days were ever more grueling, probably more than when the band members were actually in school.  Thanks to the lack of classes, Vocaloid practices moved to every day to make sure they made the most use of their time.  And somewhere inbetween songs and dances, Gakupo was still drilling her in sword play.  At first she’d barely been able to keep up with the seasoned warrior, but she steadily improved.  Once he’d taught her how to handle an opponent on the ground, he began throwing magic at her.  The reason Gakupo favored fighting with a sword versus his song magic was the expectation that his opponents would largely expect a magical assault and prepare for it.  But his blade, Miburi, could slice through magic.

Gakupo granted Miku’s sword the same enchantment.  The first several times he’d cast magic at Miku, she’d had to fight the urge to just duck or run – she needed the nerve to stand her ground.

Fortunately, the two weeks to the hanabi passed without another Herald incident, though Miku always jumped whenever she’d hear Gumi's scooter during practices. The nosy girl had to have suspected the part she’d played in the incident at Club Airly.

 

Finally the day of the hanabi arrived and Miku could barely contain her excitement. And now Miku found herself fretting as she sat on Rin’s bed, clad only in her underwear, nervously pinning her twin tails up into twin buns. ‘Ah, why am I freaking out?!’ she thought to herself, ‘it's not like I'm on a date or anything! It's just me and my friends…’

“Are you about done with your hair?”

Miku looked up at her sempai as she entered from the hall.  Something seemed… different about her.  Normally Luka tended to wear her hair down during the festivals, but tonight she had it pinned up, a delicate braid running along the back of her head.  She grasped a spring of blue flowers in one hand… and she was _definitely_ wearing make-up.

‘Luka… didn’t say anything about a _date…_ ’ Miku thought to herself.

As Luka pulled out her own yukata and rested it on the bed, she saw a paper umbrella lying along the bed. “Are you hiding your sword in there?”

Miku nodded.  “Gakupo… said I should always be ready… course now _I_ feel like a samurai.”

She glanced over at her black yukata on the bed, adorned with a light blue print of flowers and butterflies.  She hadn’t even seen what Luka had picked out for Kaito yet.

Kaito… in a yukata…

Rin threw open the door to her bedroom, bounding inside.  “You guys ready yet?!” she shouted, causing Miku to yelp.  “Close the door, Rin!” she shouted.

 

Kaito heard Miku shouting from upstairs, followed by a door slamming.  He guessed for whatever reason, Miku was being slow.  “She’s always late,” Len said, as if reading his mind, “Though this is a _bit_ longer than normal.  Except the year she had a date.”

Kaito tried _not_ to think of Miku on a date as he tugged at the black sash of his light blue yukata.  For once, he felt comfortable in human clothes given the similarity to traditional Seruva clothes.  He glanced over at Gakupo, who wore a black yukata with a white sash.  His friend leaned against the wall, his arms crossed and his eyes closed in contemplation.  As for Len, he wore a dark blue yukata with a yellow sash as he paced back and forth impatiently.

“Kaito-niisan!  Kaito-niisan!  I’m all ready!”

Rin came bounding down the stairs, filled with energy.  “What do you think of my yukata!?” she said as she landed on the bottom step, holding her hands up in expectation of compliments.

“You look really cute, Rin!” Kaito said cheerfully, “The cats really suit you!”

Rin giggled with glee, holding her cheeks.  “Ah, I love cats… the landlord won’t let us have one though,” she said, sticking out her tongue.

Kaito glanced up the stairs as Luka followed behind Rin, her steps dainty as she moved in her pink yukata with cherry blossom prints.  “You look lovely too, Luka!” Kaito said.

On the word “Luka,” Gakupo opened his eyes and looked up the stairs though he stayed silent as Luka descended the stairs with her hand on the rails.  She smiled warmly at Kaito.  “You really picked a knock out this year, Sempai!” Len said.

Luka looked to Gakupo, as if expecting a response.  “You look radiant…” he finally said, though Kaito noted some uncharacteristic nervousness in his melody.  Why would _Luka_ make Gakupo nervous?

But Gakupo wasn’t the only out-of-character nervous person, for as Miku finally made her entrance and locked her aqua eyes with Kaito’s, she seemed positively shy.

And she looked positively beautiful.

“Miku, you're so… pretty…” he said, trying to cover his awkwardness.

Now both of them were staring at each other, at a loss for words.  Len let out a cough.  “We should probably go… Rin seems to think the entire festival’s going to be over if we don’t show up in the next fifteen minutes.”

“Ahhh!  Leeen!”

 

As the group entered the festival grounds, Kaito was overwhelmed by the sights and sounds.  Music filled the air – not the pounding, wild tones of the club, but taiko drums and flutes.  While the melodies were different, the simpler instruments felt more soothing.  Streams of paper lanterns adorned the stalls, illuminating the dark wharf with an array of colored lights.

His eyes widened as he saw children running through the crowd, holding sticks with bright sparking lights at the tips.  “Ah!  They must be selling sparklers here!” Rin shouted, “I want one too!”

“Just don’t set your yukata on fire again,” Len quipped, “Or my bangs!”

“They’re a type of firework,” Luka began to explain quietly, “They’re popular with children.”

“Were they something you liked to play with?” Gakupo asked, “Maybe we can get you some when Rin finds them.”

Kaito thought the way the two of them spoke to each other sounded oddly intimate, the way their notes mingled and danced with each other.  Over the past two weeks, he _had_ noticed Gakupo spending more time alone with Luka… but if he was seriously intending to pursue a Val’Sharess… he really _was_ giving up on going home…

“Hey!  Goldfish scooping!” Miku called out, “Kaito, you’ve got to try this!”

She grabbed Kaito’s hand, leading him towards a stall with an open basin of water filled with goldfish.  “Two please!” she said, getting two little paper nets and two small bowls.  She handed one of each to Kaito.

“See, you just dunk the net in the water and try to scoop the fish into the bowl…” Miku said.

At first, Kaito just watched as Miku knelt down and watched the fish flee from her the second the bowl neared the water.  “So!  They’re smart this year!” Miku called out, “But I’m fast!”  Though she eventually balanced one of the fish precariously on her net, the paper tore underneath and Miku’s “prey” swam back to safety.

Soon the rest of the Vocaloids were gathered around the booth as well to try their luck, though Gakupo hung back at first.  “Watch Kaito-niisan, I’m totally going to catch one!” Rin said, “If I can’t have a cat, I should totally be able to have a fish, right!?”

Kaito recognized the look in Gakupo’s eyes – he was trying to discern the most effective strategy.  Even when he was merely hunting for goldfish, he attacked with precision.  As Rin’s net broke in the pursuit of a fish, she appeared the most down-hearted.  “Ah, Kaito-niisan, you’ll get me one, right?!” she pleaded.

“I’ll do my best…” he said, but soon Kaito had to admit defeat as his net disintegrated in the water.

“Well, guess that’s everyone…” Miku started to say before Gakupo finally approached the basin with a serious expression.

Lightning fast, he swung his net through the water, faster than the fish could react and fast enough that it stayed relatively dry.  The mighty Seruva warrior had the crafty goldfish scooped into his bowl before Kaito could finish blinking.  The stall attendant looked surprised.  “Are you keeping that or putting it back?” he asked.

Gakupo looked towards a shivering Rin.  “Did you still want this?” he asked.

Rin’s head bobbed stiffly.  “I’ll keep it,” he said.

Soon Rin had her beloved goldfish bagged safely and dangling from a bag around her wrist.  “Th-th-th-thank you, Gakupo,” she stammered.

As the Vocaloids continued their trip through the festival grounds, they began to drift apart as they searched for their favorite activities.  Of course, Kaito didn’t have one yet… and Miku seemed eager to show him as many as possible.

“Kaito, Kaito!  See, you grab this string and if there’s a toy on the other end you get to keep it!”

“This is just like the fish, you use the fishing pole to hook around the ball and pull it up before the cord breaks!”

“Here Kaito, try this one!  Just roll the marble so it lands in the little hole…”

So many experiences to take in at once!  How many times had Miku played these games?  But the way she hopped around with excitement explaining everything to Kaito for the first time, the notes in her voice bouncing with energy, Kaito began to understand that it wasn’t even about the festival for her.  She wasn’t bored or frustrated patiently teaching him about so many customs at once.  It was about sharing her love for it with someone else.  As she dragged him over to a vendor in a stall, Kaito could feel the rush of cold air in the booth.  “Two snow cones please!”

Miku handed him a ball of ice and syrup sitting atop a paper cone.  She then watched with anticipation and Kaito realized she’d probably let her own snow cone melt so she didn’t miss his own reaction.  Kaito timidly took a bite and his taste buds tingled with the combination of the sweet sugary syrup and ice chunks.  “This… this is almost as good as ice cream!” he exclaimed.

He unhesitatingly took another bite… then another… until a certain familiar pain rattled his head.  Miku burst out into laughter as Kaito rubbed his head.  “Slow down, it’s not going to melt that fast!” she teased.

Kaito and Miku found a seat on an empty bench and grabbed seats.  He watched the crowd of people – so many happy melodies mingling at once.  It made him nostalgic for the festivals of his home.  It wasn’t that the Seruva _couldn’t_ express happiness… it just wasn’t always _easy_ for them to.

“So… do the Seruva do things like this?” Miku asked.

Kaito swallowed some of his snow cone, with more care this time.“For the Seruva… our festivals didn’t have games and such…” he said, gesturing to all the stalls, “We used them to sing… dance… my favorite part were the pageants. Troupes of Seruva would perform plays and songs about stories from our history and myths…”

“Did you ever perform!?”

Miku looked positively charged with excitement.  “I always _wanted_ to…” Kaito said, “My duties kept me from it though.  I just enjoyed watching them from a distance.”

The memories flowed into his head of yet another thing he’d lost but… for some reason, it didn’t hurt to speak of it.  In fact, talking of such happy memories only seemed to make the festival now feel more special.

…maybe because he was sharing it with Miku…

“You know… now that I think of it… Gakupo said he and his mother used to perform in them all the time when she was still alive…”

“It’s like everything Seruva always comes back to music…” Miku said, dumping the last of her snow cone in her mouth.

Kaito allowed the songs of the people and the beat of the taiko drums to elevate his heart.  “We hear melodies in all things… I suppose it makes sense we celebrate it as much as possible.”

Miku stood up and straightened out her yukata.  Illuminated by the low lights of the lanterns, she appeared to Kaito as if she were glowing with a multitude of color.  “We should find a spot for the concert… I'd hate to miss my chance to see Hiyama-sempai when he performs!”

 

“It is truly distressing there are no sword fighting competitions here,” Gakupo observed.

“This is a festival of peace, Gakupo,” Luka said with a laugh.

His eyes drifted to humans wielding projectile weapons stuffed with a spongy substance.  “That doesn’t look peaceful…” he joked.

“Oh? Did you want to try the cork guns?” Luka asked.

Gakupo observed for a few moments, before shaking his head.  “I prefer live opponents!”

Again he heard that lovely chime of laughter.  “Like those deadly goldfish, I suppose?”

At that, Gakupo huffed.  “Rin really wanted one.”

“Hmmm… like a bird of prey, I see…”

For a moment, his mind flashed to the sight of his hands as claws.  He attempted to banish the thought quickly.  There was something relaxing about going to a festival and not needing to keep Kaito under constant surveillance while he did so.  In retrospect, this was the first time he’d visited a public event like this without feeling like he needed to be on the job.

But of course, he had an underlying motive for getting away with Luka like this.  He needed to resolve some uncertainty in his heart that had taken root over the last two weeks…

Luka stopped at a stall covered in masks, surrounding people playing a game where they attempted to toss rings onto standing bottles.  Luka approached the stall and received a handful of rings.  Gakupo kept his eyes on Luka as the people around her flailed around, helplessly trying to slip a ring around a bottle.  Yet even her tosses possessed a sense of grace and precision.  He couldn’t attribute all of it to her Seruva heritage.  He knew neither he nor Kaito could move so perfectly.

Admiring the smile on her face, Gakupo stepped forward.  “Surely if you’re willing to try this, I can take a chance as well…”

He blocked out the loud laughter and sounds around him as he made a game attempt at trying to get a ring around a bottle.  As Luka backed away from the table, out of rings, he felt a sense of competition burning in his heart.  He had two rings left… he narrowed his vision until he saw just two bottles and carefully flung two ahead.

“Ohhh, you played nice and cool for the pretty lady, didn’t you?!” shouted the stall worker as the rings found their targets, “You get two masks!”

Gakupo looked at the wall, an array of fantastical creatures he’d never heard of.  “Oh, get the kitsune, Gakupo!” Luka said, pointing up at a white mask with pointy ears.

“The lady has spoken!” he said with a cocky smirk, “And how about that fierce black one next to it?”

He handed Luka her prize.  “Apparently I’m pretty decent at this…” he said.

“What ever happened to live opponents?” Luka asked.

As he slipped the kitsune mask over the side of her head (the way he’d observed other humans wearing them,) his hand brushed her soft braid.  “It looked fun,” he said simply.

“Oh, this is a tengu mask,” Luka said as she took hold of Gakupo’s, “You know what they are right?”

He looked the mask over more carefully – a bird monster with a short beak.  “They seem to follow my every move these days…” he said with a frustrated sigh.

Luka held her arms up and tied the mask fast so it hung from the side of his head.  “They’re not evil, not necessarily,” Luka said, “Tengu are the harbingers of war in some tales, but in others they’re the fierce guardians of forests and temples.”

As she removed her hands, she gave him another lovely, tranquil smile.  “This is a kurama,” she explained, “They have beaks.  You’d look a little silly if you wore one of the masks with the long noses.”

Gakupo touched the tip of his average sized nose. “I suppose that would make it harder for me to woo a lovely soul…”

The two shared a laugh as they heard the sound of music beginning.  “Oh… the concert’s starting!” Luka said, “We should find somewhere up high to watch the fireworks… they’ll start firing them off pretty soon.”

“Oh, you need height do you?” Gakupo teased.

“No flying here, they’ll all see you!”

…he loved the sound of her laughter.  More than that… he was starting to realize he loved _making_ her laugh.

 

_“Hyururira, by the time the sun sets, the festive music is calling me…”_

Len scanned the crowd with worry, a chocolate-covered banana clutched in his fist.  Miku had managed to sneak off, with _Kaito_!  He needed to catch her before the concert.  Unless… unless Kaito had the same idea?!

‘That guy… he’s so damn _smooth!_ ’ Len thought with envy.

“Hey, Len, I just heard Miku!” Rin said, clutching her fish in one hand and a candy apple in the other.

The twins began to rush over in the direction of her voice to find Miku hopping up and down as she kept her eyes on the stage.  “Ah!  Hiyama-sempai! He looks even cooler than I remember!”

Miku turned and smiled as she saw Len.  “Hey, Rin, Len!  Great timing!”

_“I blend into the festive crowd, I half run in haste, in haste…”_

Before Len could stop her, Rin dove forward and grabbed Kaito’s arm.  The blue haired man looked at her in surprise.  “Kaito-niisan, Kaito-niisan… please, please, pleaaaaase watch the fireworks with me!  I don’t have a date!  You’ll be my ‘date’, right?!”

‘Damn, Rin!  You’re overdoing it!’ Len thought to himself.

Still, Kaito seemed charmed by her over-the-top behavior.  “Sure, I think we can do that-“

“Yay!  Come on, I’ll take you to my favorite spot!”

“Ah…. Kaito!” Miku said, but in mere minutes, Miku and Len were finally alone.

Miku turned to the younger boy and chuckled.  “Looks like it’s just us this year,” she said, “Hope you don’t mind getting stuck with me.”

“Eh, stuck with Miku?  Better than Rin jabbering all night…” Len said, trying to play things cool.

_“The street is lined with stalls, and voices of sellers are driving to tempt, I’m sure I can meet you soon, Come, come, throbbing, Summer-sama!”_

The tealette turned back to the rock concert.  “That guy up there, Kiyoteru… he’s the guy that inspired Vocaloids…” Miku said with a whimsical sigh.

“Wait, that’s the guy?!?” Len said in shock, looking back up at the show.  He squinted to try and make him out.  In his white shirt, tight black pants, and teased up hair, Kiyoteru at least looked the part of an attractive cool rock vocalist…

“I dunno why he was giving up on his dream though…” Miku said, and now she sounded disappointed, “He’s a teacher now!  When he was in school, he wasn’t going to let anything stop him!”

The blond boy started to feel annoyed – both with Miku and himself.  Talking about the band on the stage wasn’t getting him any closer to speaking up to Miku.  But he kept getting distracted by a mournful melody bouncing around in his head, further toying with his confidence. He swallowed and started to speak up.  “Look, Miku… “ he started to say.

When Miku looked at him with those huge inquisitive eyes, Len already felt his courage faltering.  “Can we… find another spot!?  I can’t see much from here…”

 

_“I wanna ask you to be with me tonight, you’re in yukata and too dazzling, the nape, the straggling hair…”_

While Luka’s eyes remained fixed on the stage, Gakupo found himself entranced by just watching _her_.  The intricate pattern in her hair, the blue flowers tucked into her bun, her white mask delicately draped over the side of her head…

Every time they’d spoken tonight, their melodies intermingled as though performing a delicate dance, teasing each other with unspoken emotions. Of course he understood her intentions with every inviting melody – Gakupo had, unlike Kaito, the freedom to pursue romances of his own choice.

Save _one_.

“Gakupo… before this goes… further…” Luka said.

‘Is she really going to be that bold?’ he thought to himself.

“I need to know how you _really_ feel about Kaito.”

…she would _have_ to ask about that.

He found himself stumbling over how to answer. Of course he cared for Kaito… of course he’d known on Earth, he could, if he so wanted, take a chance and make his emotions plain.  But… there were so many complications in doing so.  Chiefly… his own guilt in being part of the chain of events that led to his torture and mutilation…

“Gakupo, if… if Earth is your one chance… then… I don’t want to get in the way.  You both deserve to be happy.”

But it wasn’t that simple… he’d spent the last few days in deeper and deeper conflict over the emotions in his heart.  He knew how he felt about Kaito, but he didn’t expect that path to lead to success.  He suspected he knew how he felt about Luka.  But was it the same?  Lesser, greater?  He’d risked everything to try and save Kaito… did he know that if it came down to one life or the other, which one he would choose to save now?

Luka’s melody revealed sorrow, even as she spoke of wanting nothing but his happiness…

“Kaito and I…”

He found himself distracted by the sudden emergence of a familiar dissonant melody in his heart, twisting together with a malignant invading force…

 

_“The scent of summer is given out … Dizzy, dizzy, dizzy, dizzy… I pull you into my arms…”_

As Kaito leaned back against a tree overlooking the show, he could barely make out Luka and Gakupo on a hill on the other side of the large staging area.  So he _was_ pursuing Luka…

He looked over to Rin, who curiously had her eyes further down the hill at a set of bleachers and not focused on the concert.  “Rin, didn’t you want to watch the show?”

“Oh!  I am, I am!” she said, nervous notes shaking in her melody.

As Kaito watched Kiyoteru’s performance, Kaito began to wonder if maybe he should try to be more outgoing like that… Miku did seem to admire him for it…

He felt his heart racing as he thought more of Miku.  Sharing stories with her, trying games, eating strange foods… how lovely she’d looked in her yukata tonight.  But he hadn’t wanted to be rude to Rin after she’d declared him her “big brother” though.  Nobody ever seemed to look up to him before, the idea of someone trusting him so much made him want to live up to Rin’s expectations.

Kaito didn’t understand why his emotions dragged him to such a melancholic place.  A melody of sadness toyed with his heart.  Kaito snapped to attention when he realized the sad notes were not coming from the man on stage…

_“Bang! Big large-flowered fireworks, shine the backs and make shadows of the two…”_

As Miku and Len sat away from the crowd on one of the hills, her mind drifted back to the person she realized she’d _really_ wanted to share this moment with.  She wasn’t going to deny her friend Rin time with her new “big brother”, but... she’d wanted so desperately to be with Kaito the first time he saw fireworks. To Kaito, everything around her was something he’d never seen or comprehended.  Teaching it to him always made her even happier as he never held back his emotions…

“Miku…” Len said softly.

She turned to face her friend.  It wouldn’t be fair to Len to make him feel like she was only putting up with him, no matter what her sense of melancholy. “Yes?” she asked softly.

Len’s expression appeared so intense, Miku wondered what in the world he was about to say…

_“Lights of bursting fireworks scatter, as the eyes are closed, they disappear-”_

The loud whistling of fireworks filled the air, cutting Len off.   “Wait, aren’t those supposed to go off _after_ the concert?”

She looked up into the sky as she watching the projectiles spinning through the sky… then streaking towards the stage as if directed by an unseen hand.  Kiyoteru and the other members of his band stopped their performance and dove for cover as one exploded right on the surface of the stage.  Several more rocketed over the crowd, exploding in brilliant patterns.  Miku tried to shield her eyes, opening up her umbrella to protect herself and Len from a shower of sparks.

Yet the umbrella didn’t catch fire as she’d thought it might.  As she pulled it up, she saw the assembled crowd beginning to collapse to the ground.  Sounds of crying and despair filled the air.

And then she saw _her._

A woman in an elaborate pink kimono with shoulder-length black hair, her hair held back with a headband adorned on each side with enormous cherry-blossom adornments. A pair of black wings unfurled behind her as she moved to the front of the stage, stepping over Kiyoteru’s body.

“I am Mizki, the Herald of Noise!  All shall fall to despair!”  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mizki, killer of ships.  By the way Kiyoteru, probably not that happy I stuck you in here now that you get tossed around by an explosion, huh!?
> 
> So, Mizki, aka VY1!  So unlike Yuma, who I just recycled the “Roro” design from, VY1 doesn’t really have a “canon” design, so I had to [choose one I liked from fanart](http://www.zerochan.net/939955#full) and try and describe that in the text.
> 
> This chapter was so fun to research.  I watched a lot of videos of people goofing off at festivals, and Japanese fireworks shows are particularly impressive.  I might have tried living vicariously through the cast in this chapter.  And yes, they really do have tons of food at these festivals that involves pretty much just stuffing things on a stick and yes they really do serve chocolate coated bananas!  I also couldn’t resist having the mighty warrior Gakupo use his extensive combat training to win at silly carnival games.
> 
>  **Song Credits:** “[Flowers Bloom in The Night Sky, Please, Summer!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9v5cqLcOac)” is a Gensou Airly group song performed by Gakupo, Len, Kaito, and Kiyoteru.  Though Kiyoteru performs it solo in the story, I tried to use the lyrics to transition POVs based on who originally sang them (in particular, Gakupo’s verse.) And while the songs themselves didn’t appear, the two movies Rin and Len wanted to see were based on “World’s End Umbrella” and “Black Rock Shooter” respectively.


	8. Sky Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mizki the third Herald of Noise is a more formidable foe than her predecessors. Can Miku hope to stand against her, even with her stronger friends at her side? And what are Rin and Len to do now that they’ve uncovered the truth about everything!? Help may be arriving from the least likely of sources…

“Len!  Get your sister and run!” Miku shouted.

Len looked at Miku in surprise.  Was she _insane_?!  “What are you going to do!?” he said, “We need to call the cops or something!  That woman’s gotta be a terrorist or something!”

Miku looked at the crowd of collapsed people, writhing in pain.  “Maybe she used a nerve gas or something dangerous like that-“

Another loud whistling filled the air.  Miku held up her paper umbrella and grabbed Len close to her body.  As he heard it explode and saw the shower of sparks, he expected it to burst into flames… but there wasn’t even a hint of heat.

And he became aware of a bizarre melody zig-zagging through his head.  “Len!  Please!” Miku begged, “I don’t want either of you to get hurt!”

“Miku… do you know what’s going on!?”

“MIKU!  LEN!  Where are you?!”

Len heard Kaito’s voice in the crowd.  Miku began to run towards him.  Len hoped the dangerous person wasn’t about to attack a second time, but he didn’t want to look back as he laid eyes on his frightened sister….

 

Gakupo’s wings were out in seconds after the explosion slammed into the shield Luka had swiftly created over the pair of them. “To ruin such a wonderful place as this!” he cursed.

All around them, they were the only two people still conscious.  “So the sparks from the fireworks are knocking them out… ha! A clever strategy!”

“We need to find the box!” Luka said, “If you think you can take her, I’ll start looking around!  Maybe it’s under the stage?!”

As a wave of fireworks flew through the air, Luka gasped as she realized they were about to hit Miku and Len…

 

“Len, noooo!” Rin shouted as an explosion surrounded her brother.

But as the smoke cleared, she saw a glowing white shield of light surrounding Len and Miku.  She could hear Kaito's singing voice in the air, but as she looked up to him, she saw he appeared motionless aside from his extended hand.

The shield vanished as Miku grabbed Len and ran over to Kaito.  “Kaito-niisan… what did you just do?” Rin said, fear in her voice.

“No way, you’ve got to tell us what’s going on!  How did you just do that?!” Len protested.

Rin gasped as she saw a winged form zoom through the air.  As it alighted upon the stage, drawing a katana, she recognized him as Gakupo… with a pair of beautiful white wings.  She couldn’t see his face, but she could hear his words.

“How dare you desecrate a festival of joy with despair!” he shouted, “I’ll grant you the battle you so desperately seek!”

“Kaito-niisan!  Why does Gakupo have wings!?” Rin asked as she watched her friend charge straight for Mizki.

“He didn’t waste any time…” Miku grumbled.

Kaito looked to Rin with a deathly serious gaze. “You and your brother need to go hide.  Stay away from the fireworks.”

His face softened as he tried to give her confidence. “Your big brother will fix this.”

Rin wanted to trust Kaito…  “Fine, but you guys owe us… a LOT of explanations!” Len said.

 

As the twins departed the stage grounds, Miku began to loosen her sword from her umbrella handle.  “How do they make this look so easy in movies?!” she grumbled before the weapon finally clattered to the ground.

She picked up the hilt with both hands.  “Kaito…” Miku said, “I think that the sparks from the fireworks are what she used on all these people…”

He nodded his head.  “Then we need to make sure they don’t touch us.”

Miku kept her umbrella close and try to calm her nerves.  She had a weapon in her hand.  She intended to use it to attack a living creature.  She would not be useless. 

 

Gakupo’s first strike against Mizki was fast and furious.  She had already revealed she favored attacks at range, like a proper Seruva mage.  She would not easily handle him closing at melee.

Or so he thought – as he dove through the air, he saw her draw a rainbow-colored fan from her kimono and swipe it forward.  He found himself buffeted by a massive gust of wind filled with flower petals.  He stopped his charge and put up a purple shield, just in time to see a wave of sharp objects bounce off the edge of it.  As he glanced at the ground where they collected near his feet, he saw they were hair pins.

‘I guess it’s safe to say they’re getting stronger with every Herald…’ he thought to himself.

He heard a whistling noise around him and realized Mizki had merely been distracting him until she had more ammunition.  He adjusted his barrier to try and prevent from being captured in the explosion.  He heard the loud explosions along his shield and fell back from the shockwaves, though he remained ultimately unhurt.

‘This is no good…’ he thought to himself as he tried to pick himself up quickly, ‘I can’t take her alone…’

And yet he had to admit the challenge of a real fight excited him...

 

As Miku rushed to the stage, watching the explosions surrounding Gakupo, she saw someone fall to the ground from the force.  “Hiyama-sempai!” she shouted in fright, rushing to his side.

Fortunately, while his glasses had tumbled off, Kiyoteru seemed otherwise uninjured.  Kaito bent over him with Miku, examining him with more care.  “He’ll be fine but… his heart is filled with Noise…” he murmured.

“You can tell?” Miku asked, studying her dear idol carefully.  While his eyes were closed, his face kept contorting in pain.

“…I’m getting better at hearing it…” Kaito said somberly.

“I… I can’t…” Kiyoteru whispered, “I can’t reach anyone...”

“Hiyama-sempai, snap out of it!” Miku shouted, hoping somehow her voice might be heard.

But he remained in his trance.  “The children can’t trust in me… nobody can… I’m refuse… I don’t have the strength to be anything…”

Hearing her dear sempai voicing so many fears without realizing he had an audience… Miku’s eyes became moist.  How close they were to hers…

Another series of explosions over her led Miku to pull her umbrella up, shielding the both of them.  She clutched her sword.  “It’s okay, sempai… I’ll save you…” Miku whispered, gently resting him on the ground.

Miku and Kaito quickly scaled the stage.  Gakupo looked a little worse for wear – he’d taken more than a few hits, but he was still on his feet.  “How dare you steal everyone’s happiness!” Miku shouted, extending her sword.

“Your hands are trembling,” Mizki said matter-of-factly.

A series of fireworks slammed into the stage.  Kaito quickly shielded Miku from the blasts.  As the smoke cleared, Miku tried to use the fog to close her distance with Mizki.  She tried to remember every single thing Gakupo had taught her.  A series of sharp hair pins flew in her direction and Miku did her best to try and quickly deflect every one of them from her blade.  She felt a few get through and tear holes in her yukata.

“Why is a child playing with a toy sword?” Mizki asked.

“I… I made a promise!” Miku shouted, more to bolster herself than to answer Mizki.

An arrow of white light blew through the air as Miku heard Kaito’s voice flow through the air.  Mizki moved to deflect it, only to be met by another frantic charge from Gakupo.

Clearly, while not one of these people could fight her, they were making a damn good job of fighting her as a team.  The problem was breaking her defenses.

 

Luka gasped as she heard a trembling above her.  She’d begun to crawl under the stage, trying to zero in on the Noise generator’s location.  She could detect the melody around her, and feel it trying to twist feelings of sadness in her heart.  She tried to grasp onto happy memories to keep her spirits up as the people above her fought to keep Mizki contained.  Days spent singing with her Vocaloid friends, afternoons at the wharf, watching her favorite movie with Gakupo…

Her cheeks flushed, but fine, if he was going to even penetrate her happy memories, it wasn’t so harmful to keep him close.  Even if he hadn’t answered her question, she started shielding her heart from despair by thinking of his delightful company… the joy of opening her heart to someone who understood her…

“Gakupo, on the left!” Miku shouted.

“Ha!  An easy dodge!” he quipped.

She heard Kaito’s voice ring out in song and another small explosion above.

“I can’t believe Miku’s really up there trying to fight…” Luka whispered, “And… _succeeding_ …”

As she began to make her way under the stage, hoping the fight on top would not lead to her somehow being crushed underneath, she was able to make out the bottom of a vast pile of fireworks boxes towards the back of the stage area.  “That must be what she’s directing…” Luka said, “Maybe the generator’s inside somewhere…”

Unfortunately, she couldn’t get there from _underneath_ the stage due to a metal fence – the melody had led her astray.  She’d have to crawl out and try not to draw too much attention to herself.  If the Herald was smart, she would try to protect the source of her power.  But Luka had to take that chance.  She could use her own magic to shield her from attacks if she had to and then simply smash the box.

She had to – her friends were counting on her.

 

As Len watched the chaos on the stage while hiding inside a prize booth next to the unconscious stall attendant, he still couldn’t believe the sights.  He’d known Kaito and Gakupo were keeping secrets from him.  But he’d never in his wildest dreams believed they were keeping something like _this_ from him. He’d been particularly worried when he saw Miku charged the dangerous Mizki with a katana – when could she have possibly learned to wield one!?  But there she was, in the thick of it, swinging a sword around as if she had some idea of what she was doing.

“Is this what they were doing without us?” Rin asked, her voice quivering.

“Probably…” Len said, trying to sound authoritative as he was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that they’d just let a person into his band that could _fly._

As another series of fireworks explosions rocked the area, Rin managed to say what Len was thinking himself as he observed all the unconscious people around him being swallowed by black auras.

“We have to help them.”

The boy’s eyes scanned the area.  “Yea, no way are we letting them do something dangerous like this without all of us…” Len said, “But what can we do to help without weapons or… magic?”

Just saying the word “magic” felt bizarre… if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he’d have never imagined it.  It was as if Kaito, Gakupo and Mizki were using songs to attack each other. 

Rin snapped him out of his thoughts. “Len, what about those fireworks?  They’re coming from behind the stage!”

He observed another volley shooting into the sky.  The stage wasn’t far from the lake… but he and his sister couldn’t possibly just dump them all into the water themselves.  Still… maybe there was some kind of equipment like a forklift or something that they _could_ make use of…

“Okay… we’ll look for the fireworks behind the stage!” Len said, “Find some way to get them in the water.  That’ll really mess her up!”

 

As Gakupo threw up another shield to protect him from Mizki’s latest volley, he found himself at an impasse.  While he and his allies were starting to show signs of straining from the furious combat, she appeared barely winded.  ‘Perhaps the very Dark Notes she draws power from are sustaining her as well…’

In his head, he could hear two dueling melodies again.  Unlike the last time, he knew better than to reach for either.  He couldn’t risk losing his mind when the odds were already so perilous.  But the fight with Mizki was also depriving him of the ability to use his second voice to create an extra melody as he had last time.

Another wave of fireworks went streaking towards him.  Gakupo prepared his shield, wondering why Mizki would only target him… the first few slammed into his shield harmlessly, but several went whizzing past him.  He watched their trajectory and saw them zooming towards…

Gakupo spread his wings and dove through the air to reach the target of Mizki’s assault in time.  He grabbed them and pulled him close to his body, trying to form a new shield of his own but realizing it would not form in time he used his wings to shield them completely from the blast…

“GAKUPO!”

Before his vision went dark, he felt something overtaking him in his mind.  Two warring melodies, one of despair, and one of destruction, each attempting to claim dominance over the other.

The melody of destruction won, his mind flooding with only one command.

‘Find Kaito.  Kill all who interfere.’

 

As Gakupo’s wings pulled back around her, he collapsed to the ground at Luka’s feet.  She cried out his name as he fell, covered in scorch marks.  Her heart pounded – he couldn’t be dead… Mizki couldn’t be that strong… she chanted her healing ballad and watched his wounds close but the pain in his face revealed him trapped in a world of sorrow…

“Your warrior is fallen to despair…” Mizki said dispassionately, “I shall claim the rest of you with him.”

‘This is all my fault… I left myself exposed and he…’

Another series of projectiles twirled through the air – and suddenly Gakupo’s blood red eyes sprang open.  He leapt to his feet, spread his black wings and took flight, his sword arm whirling like a tornado as he carved up the fireworks in mid air.  Though each exploded around him, the payloads were clearly having no effect.

For the first time during the fight, Mizki began to look frightened as the fully transformed Gakupo stood in front of her.  She began to hurl the hairpins again, but Gakupo deflected each and every one.

“You shall fall to the Harbinger!” he bellowed, his voice booming with power.

‘He has another melody in his heart…’ Luka thought to herself, ‘She can’t overpower that, but… neither can Gakupo!’

In his mad frenzy, he seemed to care little about any potential collateral damage.  Kaito had put up another shield to keep himself and Miku safe as projectiles nearly hit him.  “Gakupo, snap out of it!” Miku shouted in vain.

Luka knew she needed to find the generator, but at the same time, she needed to protect her friends from… Gakupo.  No, not Gakupo… whatever was animating him.  She began to scale the stage, her heart overwhelmed with guilt.  This was _her_ fault.  She’d been careless, she’d left herself exposed, and now he was losing the battle against whatever evil had possessed his heart.

She barely registered the sight of two people running behind her to get behind the stage.

 

“What did that mean lady do to Gakupo!?” Rin shouted.

“We can’t worry about that now… look, there’s a forklift back here!”

Len examined the tall machinery.  He’d never even driven a _real_ car, he was still two years away from getting his license.  Now he and his sister were going to have to figure out how to drive a piece of construction equipment?  Rin was already climbing inside without any concern for her own safety.  Len swallowed and began to follow her.  He could still hear the strange melody in his head, trying to drown him in his sorrows.  His parent’s callousness… his brother’s death… Miku’s rejection…

‘Where is this even coming from?’ he thought, ‘I gotta save Miku!’

He hopped into the forklift cockpit with his sister and was joining her in staring at the assortment of levers.  “Okay, it looks like someone left the keys inside…” Rin said, turning the key.

The forklift began to roar to life as Len held on for dear life.  “Okay, if you think you can drive, I’ll work the lift!” Len shouted over the roaring of the engine.

Rin screamed as a series of fireworks went flying out of the pile.  “What if she tries to hit us?!” she asked.

“Oh come on, you can’t be getting scared NOW!” Len barked, “The lake’s right there and Miku needs us!”

He changed his tone when he noticed the way Rin quivered in the driver’s seat.  “Don’t worry, sis,” Len said, “I’m right here.  We’ll do this together.”

Her hands stopped shaking and Rin began to carefully try and direct the massive machine to the pile of fireworks.  Len toyed with the levers, hoping he’d get them right when the margin for error was so small…

 

Kaito desperately tied to cast the ballad of purification, only to find the Dark Notes choking his melody before it moved far from his body.  At least he knew their source must be extremely close.  He cursed himself – he’d cast the spell _twice_ on Gakupo, yet failed each time to truly set him free.

In spite of her intense fighting, Mizki’s voice maintained a heavy, depressing tone.  “So strange!  Your heart beats with despair, yet you fight with a demon’s rage…”

The intensity of the battle escalated as Mizki became completely consumed with fighting Gakupo, who was abandoning any pretense of fighting with his sword and swiped at her with his talon-like hands.  The two began to take their fight to the air.  “No!” Kaito shouted, “We can’t let them get away!”

But he was forced to place another shield over himself and Miku as the hairpins came flying back down, impaling the stage where they fell.   Mizki tried directing a full volley of explosives at her vicious opponent, but with his unnatural speed, she only succeeded in causing him to divert his flight path.

With one mighty blow, the berserk Seruva sent Mizki crashing to the ground.  When she didn’t immediately get up, Kaito began to fear the worst.  Without any concern for himself, Kaito rushed in front of her as Gakupo flew close to kill her.  He threw up a shield to try and break Gakupo’s charge, hoping his presence behind it might hold him.

Gakupo slammed into it with such force Kaito felt the impact nearly shatter it entirely – if his shield had been even slightly weaker, the wild tengu would have carved him in half.  “Gakupo, stop it!” Miku shouted.

To Kaito’s surprise, Miku was standing next to him, wielding her katana. “This isn’t you!” she shouted, “You’re not a yokai!  You’re my sensei and you’re a kind man!”

“I am the Harbinger and I shall kill _all_ who interfere!”

The power in his voice felt as strong as any ballad, the notes exploding from his melody.

“Gakupo!” Kaito shouted, “We’re supposed to be saving the Herald!  Not killing her!”

But Kaito’s words failed to quell his rage. Gakupo began to advance on his allies and suddenly Kaito’s mind was thrown back to the night at the shrine... 

“Gakupo!  Tengu are not monsters… they’re guardians!  You have the power to save people!”

At Luka’s words, he began to hesitate.  Kaito looked behind him and saw Luka had a fierce look in her eyes.  Gakupo suddenly began to clutch his head as if struggling with the forces inside him.  Luka folded her hands, watching him with pity. “I believe in your strength…”

A whistling noise filled the air and Kaito realized too late he’d not ensured Mizki was completely out for the count.  Kaito heard the familiar chant of a force bolt at his back.  He turned to see Miku dive behind him, slicing through the shockwave and diverting the force.  With so many vectors of attack, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to stop Mizki’s renewed rush of pins _and_ direct the fireworks…

… until just above his head, they detonated without touching him.

Gakupo landed just in front of Kaito, having again taken another full blast of fireworks.  Though he was covered with scorch marks, the pain didn’t seem to impact him.  His intense eyes stared down Mizki, as if daring her to attack again, but now he was in a defensive stance.  “You… will not… touch them…” he growled.

At which point Kaito finally became aware of the roar of machinery.  He looked behind Mizki as a large yellow machine came barreling out from behind the stage.  “Is that… a forklift full of fireworks?” Miku asked.

“Oh my god, I can’t reach the brakes!” “Then we’ll just bail at the last second!”

“Rin, Len!  What are you doing?!” Kaito shouted.

“Kaito-niisan!  We’re saving you!” she shouted back.

Mizki began to take to the air again, only to be blocked by Gakupo.  “Kaito!  The generator has got to be in that pile of fireworks!” Luka shouted.

Several of the fireworks rocketed through the air.  Kaito aimed several arrows of light at them to detonate them early as Luka created a pink shield to cover the Kagamines from the dust.  Meanwhile, Gakupo kept matching Mizki blow for blow, keeping her from reaching the forklift as it shot towards the water.

Before the forklift crashed into the lake, Kaito saw Rin and Len bail out the doors and roll through the grass.  As the entire pile of explosives hit the water, he saw something begin to spark and sizzle along with them.  Mizki let out a shriek.  “Oh my god… they’re not even waterproof!?” Miku shouted in exasperation.

Finally, he had his opportunity as Mizki fell.  He concentrated deeply – he needed a ballad that could heal both Mizki and Gakupo, and this time stick.  He summoned every bit of magic inside of him.  ‘Please, ancestors, if you can hear me… please lend me your strength…’

He had no idea if the ancestors were listening to his prayers, but as his strong voice filled the air, Mizki was caught in an aura of light.  Gakupo collapsed to the ground with her as Kaito tried to keep directing the song in two places at once in spite of the strain he felt in his body as he did so.

As Mizki’s wings began to turn white, Gakupo quickly lost his monstrous features as well, becoming a normal Seruva again.  Before Mizki vanished, she smiled at Kaito as though a great burden had been lifted from her.  “You’re the Seal and you’re hurting yourself to save us…” she said, “You’re so kind… I’ll try and save you, okay?”

Finally she vanished in a pillar of light.  As she did so, Kaito suddenly felt a wave of nausea shoot through him and collapsed to the ground himself.  “Kaito!” Miku cried out, rushing to his side.

“It’s… it’s okay Miku…” he said, trying to reassure her, “I just… over exerted myself…”

As Gakupo stood up, recognition of Kaito in his blue eyes, he felt glad.  Once again, he’d been able to save his dearest friend.

 

“You guys owe us a HUUUUGE explanation!”

“Yea, when did you guys become superheroes?!”

“And since when can Gakupo fly and stuff?!”

“When did you learn to use a sword, Miku!?”

The Kagamines questions came so fast and furious that Miku found herself struggling to answer them.  The group had gathered behind the stage to stay out of sight as the rest of the humans began to recover from Mizki’s attack.  Miku tried to gesture for them to keep their voices down.  “Come on you guys…” Miku said, “We can’t tell you all this in public, we have no idea who could hear us...”

She tried to take stock of her teammates.  Kaito looked exhausted, but he was in better shape than when he’d collapsed earlier.  Luka was just finishing healing Gakupo, who seemed reluctant to talk about what had happened to him at all.

“Look…” Miku said, “I know you guys have a lot of questions, but… can’t this wait until later?!”

Len in particular appeared hurt.  “Did you guys just not trust us?” he said.

Rin’s huge eyes filled with tears. “You guys thought we were too weak and useless, didn’t you?”

Miku shook her head quickly.  “No!  It’s nothing like that!” she said, “I… I just…”

She looked to her battered allies that had directly encountered Mizki, then looked to Rin and Len.  “…I didn’t want you guys getting pulled into all this.”

She sighed as she examined the holes in her lovely new yukata.  “Ever since I met Kaito, it’s been one scrape after another… there’s so many evil people here trying to hurt him and everyone in Tsubasa City…”

She bowed her head.  “I can’t just walk away from all of this… I’m going to help Kaito no matter how hard it gets... but I never wanted my best friends to get hurt or killed trying to follow me.”

The twins were silent for a few minutes before Len let out a loud overbearing sigh.  “Typical Miku,” he said, “Trying to take all the credit and glory.”

Rin winked at her.  “Or just trying to get out of practice!”

Miku jerked her head up.  “H… hey!” she protested.

Len clicked his tongue.  “Where would you be if we hadn’t dumped all those fireworks into the lake anyway?” he said, shaking his head.

Rin gave a thumbs up.  “We’re ALL Vocaloids.  We stick together, no matter what!”

Miku smiled.  She couldn’t turn back the clock and keep Rin and Len safe… but now she no longer needed to keep secrets from the people she loved.  “Okay you guys…” she said, “You win.  We won’t keep you out of this anymore.”

“All that said…” Luka interjected, “We really don’t have time to talk about all of this now.  I promise, both of you, we’ll tell you everything tomorrow…”

Miku perked up when she saw a familiar face begin to walk back behind the stage.  “Hiyama-sempai!  You’re safe!”

She began to run towards Kiyoteru, who looked rather confused.  “Why wouldn’t I be okay?” he asked, “There was just a pyrotechnics failure…”

Miku blinked.  Did he really have no memory of what had happened to him?  Was _everyone_ affected by the fireworks like him?  At least she knew they could assume nobody in the crowd had seen them…

Though Kiyoteru was wearing a smile, something about his manner seemed uneasy.  Her mind drifted to his despairing ramblings while still under Mizki’s trance.  She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to her friends.  Releasing him, she made a grand gesture.  “Sempai!  These people are my friends… we’re all members of Vocaloids!” she said.

“Oh!  Miku, you’re a performer too?” he said, sounding impressed.

Suddenly his eyes settled on Luka.  “Wait… Luka-chan?  Is that really you?!”

She put a hand to her cheeks and blushed.  “It’s been a long time, Teru,” she said.

Miku balled her fists up with determination.  “Sempai!  I wanted you to know that… you totally inspired all of us to go for our dream!” she explained, “Ice Mountain inspired me to never give up on my goal of being a singer!  And all of these people came together because of that!”

At those words, Kiyoteru looked a little embarrassed.  “I inspired someone?”

He began to laugh.  “Well, I never really knew if I’d accomplished anything,” he said, “I’m glad someone was able do something important with their lives.”

Miku smiled.  “See, you don’t have to give up on your dreams!”

At that, the older man looked perplexed.  “I never gave up on my dream…”

“Huh?” Miku asked, “But you said you were teaching now…”

At that, Kiyoteru looked at Miku with an even prouder smile.  “But that _is_ my dream,” he explained, “When I spent all that time alone in the institution, I used to think nobody would ever come for me.  Until my father adopted me.  He’s a priest and he taught me the value of what a role model can do for others.  Ever since then, I’ve wanted to become someone children can trust and be inspired to do great things.”

“So noble!” Luka said with a laugh, “You haven’t changed one bit!”

He looked up to the stage where he’d been giving a concert before the “pyrotechnic incident.”  “Tonight I decided I wanted to see if my old band mates were willing to try a little experiment,” he continued, “I know I’m doing good work as a teacher, but I wanted to see if we could inspire people through song as well.”

He looked Miku straight in the eye.  “Thanks to you… I know I can.”

“Oy!  Teru, what are you doing back here!”

A man with short red hair, a black leather jacket and shirt and black pants ran around the stage.  “Come on, they’re about to get the show going again!”

He laid his eyes on Miku.  “Ohhhh…. I get it,” he chuckled, “Teru, don’t scare her boyfriend off again.”

Miku turned bright red.  Kiyoteru laughed.  “Well, I hope you guys will be in the audience,” he said.

He waved to Miku, and his entire manner seemed more positive.  She felt a surge of happiness – whatever Mizki had tried to do to her hero, she’d managed to undo it.  She pumped her fists in triumph.  “Yea!”

 

Luka walked slowly home, Gakupo close by.  After how hard the two had fought, they’d had to excuse themselves early from the show to deal with their exhaustion.  That and neither one of them really had the mentality to sit and enjoy a show after their experience.

The pair were relatively silent – she suspected he would again clam up after his harrowing experience.  She had to admit that she herself had been frightened.  None of her priestess training had prepared her for what Gakupo was going through.  She’d only heard legends of Seruva swallowed up by Noise, never to return.  So far, that hadn’t happened to Gakupo, but becoming a mindless monster hardly seemed a better alternative.

So lost in thought was she, she hadn’t noticed Gakupo had stopped walking entirely until he called her name.  She turned to face him and found him with a serious expression on his face, his eyes lowered.  “What is it?” she asked, trying to sound far more peaceful than she felt.

When he raised his eyes to hers, it felt as though he were staring into her soul.  “You asked me a question I wasn’t able to answer earlier tonight.”

His muscles appeared tense, his melody tight.  Of course she remembered the question, but she wasn’t planning on grilling him about it again…

“…the answer is… yes, I am in love with Kaito.”

Her heart pounded weakly, but she tried to stay strong.  At least he was being honest.  Before she could say another word, he continued.  “It never went any further than that.  I didn’t see the point in confessing my emotions to him when he would never be allowed to return them.”

“I don’t understand,” Luka said, “That kind of relationship is acceptable amongst the Seruva unless our laws have drastically changed since I left…”

Gakupo shook his head.  “It wasn’t that,” he said, “Kaito is the only living Spirit Caller. He has no freedom in the tribe, let alone the freedom to choose a partner that can’t help him continue the bloodline.”

So it was just as she’d suspected, all along.  “I won’t take away your chance to be happy, Gakupo,” she said.

She began to turn her head so he wouldn’t see her lose her composure. Maybe he just needed to confess it to someone else so he had the courage to speak to Kaito on his own…

“Hmph.  That wouldn’t make me happy at all, actually.”

Luka turned to him in surprise.  “You’re… giving up on him? Why?”

“Because tonight… in the heat of battle… I realized there was one person I wanted to protect even more than Kaito.”

Luka thought her heart was about to pound out of her chest.

“When the madness took me… there was only _one_ voice that could reach me.  One that I treasure more than any other voice I’ve heard.”

Luka didn’t know how to handle Gakupo being so sincere and forthcoming.  But he wasn’t putting up a front or keeping secrets.  He was speaking directly from his heart, an intense melody that threatened to overwhelm everything around him.  She needed an answer that matched the power of his feelings.

“Gakupo… you once made me a ‘standing offer’ to take me flying if I ever wanted to…”

He studied her carefully, raising one of his eye brows in curiousity.

“… I’d like to take you up on it.”

 

Miku leaned against the railing over the lake, eagerly awaiting the burst of fireworks in the sky.  Kaito was standing by her side.  “I know this isn’t going to be nearly as impressive after you almost got killed by fireworks,” Miku said, “But… when you actually see them for real... they’re something to behold.”

She looked up to the blue-haired man, who wore a serious expression on his face.  She hoped that didn’t mean he was still thinking of what they’d just gone through…

“So many people are being hurt…” he said sadly, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do to help them.”

He looked at his hands.  “I’ve failed to save Gakupo twice now… I still don’t know if it worked… and I don’t even know what I’m doing to the Heralds…”

‘This has got to go…’ Miku thought to herself.

She leaned over to him.  “But think of all the people we helped tonight…” she said, “We even saved Hiyama-sempai before he got sucked into the Noise!”

Kaito nodded his head slowly.  “I feel terrible having dragged you into all this…” he apologized.

Miku again shook her head.  “It’s fine… I mean, I don’t like being in danger, but… the Heralds would have attacked places like this whether I met you or not…”

She tried to give him a reassuring smile.  “At least when I’m with you, I feel safe.”

Suddenly Miku felt flushed.  ‘That was a LOT more than I meant to say!’

Kaito looked a little more relaxed and returned his eyes to the sky.  “So do you feel better after saving your sempai?”

“Heck yea!” Miku said, getting excited, “I mean… for once I wasn’t useless!  I mean, I wasn’t nearly as cool as you and Gakupo and Luka but… I was able to help you guys out!  I felt like I was finally able to protect people!”

“You really do obsess over that, don’t you?” Kaito said.

Miku nodded her head.  “I don’t like knowing that the people I love are in pain,” she explained.

“When you first found me, you wanted to protect me because you thought I was the boy that saved you,” Kaito continued, “So… why now?”

Miku rocked on her heels.  She had a suspicion she knew the real reason why but… she wasn’t sure she was ready to say that reason yet.  Not until she had a better read on Kaito.  “Because… you’re an important person to me now…”

‘I… I think I said too much again…’

Before Kaito could respond, a whistling noise filled the air. Kaito jumped – a reasonable reaction given what happened to him the _last_ time he’d heard those sounds.  But as the sky exploded in brilliant lights and shapes, his concern was replaced with pure joy.  Miku watched the recognition spread across his face, his growing smile, his sparkling eyes… Kaito never had a muted reaction to anything.

“It’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen!”

Miku snuck a little closer to him, trying to feed off of his energy.  “All of this… it isn’t ruining things for you?  At all?”

Kaito sounded concerned, though he hadn’t taken his eyes off the fireworks.  “Well… I’ve been thinking about what Hiyama-sempai said,” Miku said, “He really has two dreams he’s trying to make work.  It’s like how all of us Vocaloids have a ‘reason’ to be a Vocaloid along with trying to make it as a Vocaloid.”

She nodded her head with confidence.  “I’m… I’m going to help you, fight these Heralds, save everyone, no matter how long it takes!  AND I’m going to be a Vocaloid!  I’ll just bust my butt!”

Kaito smiled, finally looking at Miku again.  His eyes felt so warm.  “Miku… you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met…”

Their conversation dropped out as they both took in the show.  Miku’s heart pounded in her chest, a strange mixture of fear and joy.  She tried to push the fears away and just live in the moment.

 

“You didn’t tell Miku ANYTHING!?”

Rin stared at her brother in shock.  Len put a hand to his head.  “Look, things got a little distracting what with the crazy woman trying to kill us or steal our souls or whatever…”

Yet again, Len chickened out.  “And after that awesome setup I gave you…” Rin said, shaking her fist.

The boy leaned against the tree trunk he was sitting against.  “I’ll get to it… eventually…” he said, though Rin could hear a few notes of doubt in his voice.

Of course neither twin was blind – they’d both seen Miku and Kaito sneak off together after the concert ended.  Clearly, even if they weren’t dating, they were a lot closer than they were willing to admit.  Rin found herself torn – she wanted her dear Kaito-niisan to be happy, of course.  But she also wanted her brother to be happy too.  Len was always there for her when she needed him, and she knew how hard he’d fallen for Miku.

‘And it would be the best romance too…’ Rin thought, ‘Two childhood friends, on the cusp of adulthood, confessing their love!’

“How are you holding up anyway?” Len asked.

Rin was broken from her romantic thoughts.  “I’m doing fine…” she said, “I mean, that was kinda scary but… it was also kinda cool too…”

She laughed.  “It’s not like I ever thought I’d get to drive a forklift, let alone push it into the lake to save a concert full of people!”

She cradled her goldfish in its bag, which had managed to survive the encounter.  “Don’t worry Len… everything’s going to be fine!  I know it!”

She smiled at the fish.  “Right, Oliver?!”

 

“We’ve got the data you wanted, Oliver.”

The dim lights of the computer monitor illuminated the face of a small boy with blonde hair and a white cap.  Bandages ran across his face, covering his left eye entirely.  Though he appeared no older than 12, the manner in which he carried himself betrayed his true age.  “I don’t see why you wanted us to stand back though, Ollie… we could have easily captured that one.”

Big Al and Sweet Ann approached and set a small SD card on Oliver’s desk.  He grabbed the card, but didn’t look up from his work.  “Because _they_ were there.”

“Oh right!  Those people we don’t touch!” Sweet Ann said, as if she’d momentarily forgotten.

Oliver slipped the cards into his laptop and began to pull up a video file.  “I still can’t believe the higher ups wanted that generator in a public venue like that…” he muttered, “I know they want data on large groups of people… but an attack on a festival?”

He watched the footage of the Herald fighting a man with blue hair, another man with wings, a pigtailed girl, and a woman with pink gair.  The blue-haired man he already suspected the identity of and seeing him wielding magic only confirmed it.  He’d run extensive background checks on the girl years ago, but hadn’t considered Hatsune Miku more than just a normal person until now.  Megurine Luka?  She _had_ raised a few red flags given her lack of vital records predating her arrival at an institution in Nagoya, but she’d clearly kept a low profile as this was the first recorded incident he had of her being anything _but_ human.

As for the obvious Seruva… the fact they knew so little about him raised more than a few red flags, especially when he changed forms.  As far as Oliver knew, Seruva couldn’t wield power like that… even Seruva bombarded for days with Dark Notes in testing never changed like he did…

“So, are we going to be in the briefing with them this time?” Big Al asked, “You know, when I think about it, I’ve never even seen their faces!”

“It’s like they don’t even have faces at all!” Sweet Ann laughed.

He watched the footage of the Kagamines driving a forklift and sighed.  “No… it’s better that I handle this. I’m… better at presenting data.”

Finally, Oliver turned his gaze to his subordinates.  “You two should get checked out by medical,” he said, his expression softening, “They’ve been running you ragged.  Ann, you’re standing uneven again, I think your legs are out of alignment.”

“Oh, little Ollie, always thinking of even the basest tools,” Sweet Ann said with an eerie giggle.

Upon the duo’s departure, Oliver’s softer expression faded.  He loaded a movie editor and began to systematically cut all footage depicting the Kagamines.  “I know you two are going to get involved…” he whispered, “I can’t protect you forever.”

He sighed as he looked at their excited faces on the forklift.  Living lives of such relative ease, believing they were just two normal children.  “…but your brother will protect you as long as he can.”

 

The observation deck at the Kotori Broadcast Tower had been closed for hours.  But tonight… two people had no need for an elevator to reach the top.

As Gakupo alighted on the steel deck, Luka clutched tightly to his body, he released her with some reluctance.  She stumbled for a moment, making a motion over her face.  As she turned to his direction again… he saw the remnants of tears.

“Was it too much?” he asked, wondering if he’d unintentionally made her feel worse.

Luka wiped her face and inhaled quickly.  “No… it was… wonderful… just… shocking.  I never thought I could…”

As the sky bloomed with light and sound, she skipped to the railing and leaned upon it in silence.  Her “date” followed her, embracing her gently from behind.  She leaned into his embrace, transfixed by the light show.  “Sky flowers…” she breathed.

Such a serious moment surely required some comment… but Gakupo found himself struck silent.  It had taken every ounce of courage he had to speak so plainly to Luka, especially after what had happened.  But now she was in his arms and at peace.  He simply wished to see the fireworks as she did – filled with color and wonder.

Two broken souls, united by their common failure to protect one person and the scars they bore as a consequence.

“When are you going back?” she whispered, a few quivering notes betraying her fear.

“Why do you all keep assuming I'm going to leave?” Gakupo replied.

“Because you still have the means to.”

She had no idea how little that meant.  But in this moment, he refused to explain the truth to her.  She had already accepted a man that could turn into a monster on her.  He was not interested in pressing her tolerances further. “I don't have the will to.”

Not a lie, but not the full truth either.

“There is something far more precious on this Earth than in the islands.”

He took a chance and pulled Luka’s face close to his.  As they shared a deep, passionate kiss, he sensed the same desperate fears in her heart.  She'd been cast down to Earth as “scrap.”  He'd lost his soul.  Each clung to the other wishing never to be abandoned.

As the air crackled with the sparkling array of blossoming fireworks, Gakupo wished for only one thing.  That these broken souls would never be torn asunder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnnnd GakuLuka is first past the finishing line! Well, I’m sure nothing bad will happen to them from here on out.
> 
> Yes. I did it. I’d been trying to come up with some way for the twins to escalate their character arc in this fight despite being completely untrained and getting rid of the fireworks was obvious. Now, of course a road roller wouldn’t get rid of fireworks, so I had to change up the equipment, but I did have that meme in mind when I put them in the seat of construction vehicles.
> 
> Mizki was an interesting opponent to put together. In addition to the explosives, her attacking with a rainbow colored fan and sharp hairpins are references to her V4 and V3 software packages, respectively, which depict a fan and a hairpin respectively instead of a character avatar.
> 
> I didn’t just randomly shove Luka and Kiyoteru into an institution together. Kiyoteru’s Ice Mountain novel mentions that he IS an orphan who was adopted by a priest, and apparently the reason he’s broke all the time is because he gives all the money to the church he grew up in. I ended up just running with it since it seemed like a nice intersection with the backstories I gave to other characters.
> 
> “Kotori Broadcast Tower” is yet another bird name (crazy theme name city!) Kotori is a generic, cute term for a songbird.


	9. Synchronicity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that everyone’s secrets are out, it’s naturally time to… practice duets?! Rin has a surefire plan to finally solve Len’s romantic woes… but it hits a slight snag when she realizes she has to be the partner of the scariest man she’s ever met! But as she learns Gakupo might not be quite the terror she thought he was, Kaito and Luka’s duet seems to be reviving some long lost memories… while poor Len seems to be cracking under the pressure of Miku’s obsession with Kaito! All the while, the next Herald strikes quietly and efficiently… who will be the next victim?

_ _

_The noise rang in his ears, trying to blast every sense of self out of him.  He struggled against the cacophony of madness, what was no longer even a melody but a pounding, scraping, cracking roar.  He felt it wrap its tendrils around his body.  He tried to speak but the monochrome nothingness drowned out his voice.  He would be nothing, just scattered notes and echoes.  He would be everything, the sum of every screeching fragment.  Flailing around as his body broke apart, he found nothing to save him…_

As Kaito snapped back to wakefulness, the wretched sounds in his head ceased… the only remaining sound the calm morning rain.

Ever since he’d purified Haku, he began to have a recurring nightmare of being torn apart by a terrible sound.  After purifying Yuma, they’d become more frequent.  Tonight, hours after saving Mizki, the details felt so much clearer…

As he lay his head back down on the futon, he lamented that his dreams had grown so negative.  Would that he could have relived the joy of a sky lit up again, or tasting so many delicious sweets, or playing silly games.

With Miku.

“Seal of the Seruva…” he murmured.  Every Herald called him this, yet the title meant nothing to him.  Maybe they’d mean something to a priestess though…

‘Luka…’

Sometimes instead of nightmares, he’d start seeing fragments of another life.  Of flying over a human city, of playing with a child whose face he couldn’t recall, of watching his mother dying from seizure fits. Yet Meiko assured him she’d died alone… that he’d been unconscious due to the attempt on his life, he’d never left the Islands, he’d had no other friends…

Perhaps it was merely echoes of the Noise he’d been repeatedly exposing himself to.  He had no guarantee that his actions were safe.  Only that he was saving others. He could already hear the rebukes from Meiko and the Elders for giving so freely of himself to humanity, the sworn enemies of the people he’d once nearly died trying to lead…

But for now, all he could hear as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling of Miku’s apartment was the rain pounding against the patio outside.

 

For Luka, sleeping in her own bed again had quite a different feeling to it after having spent three weeks on a couch. 

Of course, it hadn’t been _her_ idea. 

_“Gakupo, we’ve been through this.  You can’t sleep on the couch.”_

_The Seruva warrior cocked his head at her, a seductive smile on his lips.  “Who said anything about **me** sleeping on the couch?”_

_The lustful melody in his voice, coating his shameless invitation…_

She studied his sleeping face carefully. If he suffered even a single nightmare, his face betrayed nothing.  Even in sleep, he was able to control himself when he so willed it.

Luka carefully crawled out of the bed, gathering her undergarments from the floor.  Perhaps it was reckless to become so intimate with someone she knew so little about.  But the freedom he offered her… not needing to keep her secrets, not needing to feel ashamed of where she came from and how she got here.  How could she deny that?  Relationships with humans always ended quickly due to the necessary lies and deceptions.  With another Seruva… she could be truly free.

As she slipped her robe on, she was careful to tiptoe out of the room so as not to disturb her warrior. Yet he stayed at peace, the only sound the soft raindrops on the windows.

 

“So we're super heroes now, right?!”

Miku watched Rin’s body shaking with excitement as the gathered group sat in the Kagamine’s living room, her hands balled up into little fists as she bounced around in her pink sweater and yellow skirt, her brown boots thumping the floor.  The continuing rain had ensured the Vocaloids were not going to be gathering outside for the next few days at least.  Naturally, none of them even bothered putting their costumes on for fear of getting them wet.  Gakupo appeared with his wings unveiled – no doubt rather comfortable given how he’d have to hide them for hours on end.  He wore a ¾ length black sleeved shirt and tight black pants.

Miku wore a blue jacket, black tank top, and white skirt over a pair of knee-length black boots.  “Rin, we’re not fighting crime,” Miku said, waving her hands, “we're just helping Kaito get rid of these weird Herald people…”

“So… Kaito-niisan can knock buildings over with his voice, right?!”

“I… no, I can’t do that…”

Naturally, Kaito was _still_ wearing the same clothes Miku had given him the first day they met… apparently he was just sentimental about them.  At least he kept them regularly laundered…

“Geez, no wonder you two are so weird!” Len said as he adjusted his green hoodie over his white t-shirt and brown cargo shorts, “You’re practically from another planet!”

He looked at Luka, who leaned on the back of the couch Gakupo sat upon.  She looked every bit as elegant as ever, her pink and black knee-length waistcoat complementing her pink pinstriped blouse and black shorts.  The black tie hanging off her neck flopped onto the couch cushions.

“But you don’t act that strange, Sempai…” Len said, “I mean, you blended in so well everyone at the academy worshipped you!”

Luka chuckled.  “I can assure you, when I first came here, I was even worse than these two!  At least Kaito and Gakupo have _help_!”

Rin still hadn’t stopped staring at Kaito in pure hero worship.  “Kaito-niisan, can you shoot lasers out of your eyes?!”

“I… can’t do that either…”

“So… how do we find these people anyway?” Len asked more seriously.

Luka rested her chin in one hand, leaning closer to Gakupo.  Miku noticed his eyes tracking to her face and… ‘Wait… he used to only make that face for Kaito… didn’t he!?’

“So far, we only managed to track one on our own,” Luka explained, “I wish I could say we’d uncovered a pattern… but even my contact is stumped…”

Len leaned back against his seat.  “Still though… how do we know nobody was watching us?” he asked, “We _were_ fighting in public…”

The conversation dropped for a few moments as that thought sunk in.  “Technically… we don’t even know who’s behind these generators…” Kaito said, “I mean… I have my suspicions it has something to do with the people who kidnapped me.  But I don’t know why.”

Kaito seemed to have an easier time talking about his own experience now – he still refused to discuss his torture in detail, but the twins gathered rather quickly from his behavior in telling his story how traumatic the experience had been for him.  Still, just the way his eyes quaked as he tried to put up a brave front… Miku found herself wishing she could find the ones responsible and make them pay for it herself….

“So… can Gakupo slice through boulders and steel with his sword!?”

“Why would I ever cut such a worthless object? Though I have to admit I've never tried….”

Miku sincerely hoped Gakupo wasn’t about to start stabbing steel girders to test his strength.  Still, she was wondering where in the world Rin’s imagination was taking her.  Nonetheless, her boundless energy was about the only thing keeping the tension from snapping.  The last Herald of Noise had attacked dozens of people in public.  Their attacks only seemed to escalate in the level of danger they posed.

“So what can we do to help you guys?” Rin asked, “Maybe we could take fighting lessons like Miku!?”

Gakupo looked away from Luka and to Rin, causing her to squeak.  “I’m not unopposed, but I know little of hand to hand combat… and we possess no additional weapons.”

That didn’t seem to stop Rin.  “But what about teaching us all that cool magic so we can make lasers and stuff fall out of the sky like Kaito-niisan!?”

Kaito looked particularly flabbergasted at that one.  “I… I definitely can’t do that…” he said.

He looked disappointed.  “I can’t actually teach you song magic either… it’s a power of the Seruva to anipulate magic like that.  Even if you sang my ballads perfectly, they would just be songs to you.”

Rin looked particularly disappointed.  “So… our help is going to be more like what we did in that park…” Len said, “Trying to break whatever it is generating all those… Dark Notes or whatever.”

“So… so… are we going to stop being Vocaloids now?”

Though Rin looked sad, Miku bounded forward, fire in her eyes. “No way! I’m not giving up on being a Vocaloid just because there’s a bunch of crazy people out there!”

“I… I agree with Miku,” Kaito said, drawing attention to himself, “I think it’s useful for us to keep working on something else while we gather information.”

“I can't help but agree,” Gakupo chimed in, “Conducting exercises as a unit will only increase our cohesion in battle.”

‘Gah… Leave it to Gakupo to turn a pop group into a military strategy!’

Luka started chuckling at his words, to Miku's confusion. Was he putting on a show for her?  Gakupo was _definitely_ looking at her sempai differently… and… they _had_ run off together at the hanabi… and Luka was dressed up like she was on a date…

‘…. HOLY COW!’

 

Rin’s eyes darted across the room.  Of course she’d picked up on some very subtle changes in her friends – Gakupo and Luka were _much_ closer now, and she was certain she’d seen them holding hands when she saw them coming up the walkway earlier.  How could someone as scary as Gakupo charm someone like her sempai?

But now that it had happened, Rin could already imagine it... a big scary tall guy brought to his knees by an elegant maiden and her winsome ways.

She watched Miku and Kaito – they certainly weren’t holding hands or anything, so whatever they did at the hanabi, they weren’t _dating_ yet.  Little comfort to Len, who was definitely starting to look uncomfortable.

“We Seruva believe deeply in the concept of Harmony,” Luka explained, “And not for mere philosophy.  Two Seruva who can perfectly synchronize their melodies can cast incredible magic, layering spell upon spell.”

‘Harmony, eh?  Hmmm… that gives me an idea...’

Rin rose to her feet.  “If singing together will make us stronger, then… we should try a new exercise this week!” she declared, “Everyone should break up and perform duets together!”

“Oh, Rin, that’s a good idea!” Miku said, “I’ve been wanting to try something with Kaito and-“

“No no no!” Rin said, flailing her arms around, “It’s… it’s not going to work if we just pair up like we always do!”

She looked to Len who suddenly appeared rather nervous.  She tried to give her brother a reassuring wink.  She did not see Len sink even further into his chair.  “Since Len and I always perform together, we need different partners!” Rin said, “So I say… we go boy girl, boy girl… and… and… work with people we don’t work with much!  Or at all!”

‘Okay… can’t just throw Len at Miku right away or he’ll get embarrassed…’

She pointed at Kaito and Luka.  “Kaito and Luka, you two barely know each other AND you don’t live together!”

Kaito seemed happy enough but… was Luka nervous?  She thought sempai _liked_ Kaito!  Still… next she pointed at Len and Miku.  “Len, you can work with Miku!  And… make sure she learns to practice more!”

“WHAT?!?” Len exclaimed.

Miku crossed her arms.  “I don’t see what’s so bad about working with _me_ …”

Len’s mouth snapped shut – clearly he had no idea what else to say.

‘There… and that leaves… leaves…’

Rin’s blood froze when she realized who that left _her_ with.  “That would be me and you, Rin,” Gakupo said.

His blue eyes stared right into her soul.  Rin swallowed and tried not to cause any major commotion.  Gakupo was a _good_ person.  He had a _nice_ voice. And _he was the scariest man she’d ever met._

“I… I… I… I can’t wait to work with you, Gakupo…” she squeaked out.

 

Meanwhile, at Shigesato Park…

As the rain beat against Gumi’s umbrella, she glared through her binoculars and monitored the amphitheater where _those people_ apparently spent all of their time.  This time… this time!  They would not escape her reporter’s instincts.  ‘Finch ain’t let me down yet!’ she thought to herself, ‘Whatever these clowns know… Megpoid Gumi, the PEOPLE’S reporter, will find them!’

 

Luka watched as Kaito thumbed through her collection of sheet music.  She didn’t think he was going to have trouble with finding something that fit their vocal range… their voices had a nice complementary tone.  But clearly a question nagged his mind and the awkward mind was trying to give voice to it.

“Luka… I didn’t want to ask in front of everyone earlier but… you and Gakupo…”

“…yes, I am seeing Gakupo.”

Her cheeks took on a rosy hue.  “We weren’t sure how to say anything,” she said, “It’s not like we’re getting married or anything.  And we already see a lot of each other.”

Kaito let out a sigh of relief.  “I’m glad he found someone,” he said with a smile, “He always spent so much time with me, I was afraid I was getting in the way of him having a life _outside_ of me.”

Luka’s expression shifted to one of embarrassment.  “Yes… I know he was… dedicated to his work…” she said.

‘Poor Gakupo…’

As Kaito kept looking through the songs, Luka felt tension in her heart.  Rin had no way of knowing that she had a past with Kaito, and she’d still not found a way to tell him.  Technically, this “duet” exercise might give her the chance to come clean with him.  But as he had a smile on his face, humming a few bars to himself as his eyes settled on a page, she also feared breaking the friendship she’d built with him in the present.

His fingers stopped on a certain page.  “What about this one, ‘Lie’?”

“What?!  Kaito, that’s a _break up_ song!  Why do you always pick such sad melodies!?”

Kaito crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling, his facing depicting his consternation. “Well, if you’re dating Gakupo now, we shouldn’t sing something romantic right in front of him…”

Such an innocent man.  How had he come out of such a cruel world with such a kind heart?  “Gakupo understands a _performance_ , Kaito.  But if it makes you uncomfortable…”

Luka wandered over next to him and began flipping the pages.  “If the point of this exercise is to extend our range, I’m going to insist you sing something happier,” she said.

She slipped a piece of music out of the book with the words “Ai Kotoba” on the top of the sheet.  “This one is one of Teto-chan’s,” Luka said, “It’s about someone confessing how important a valuable friend is to them.”

She didn’t realize the sad notes that had slipped through her voice until Kaito’s expression shifted.  “Um… that _is_ happy, right Luka?” he asked.

She buried the fear and sorrow in her heart.  The secret was going to have to wait for another day.  “Here… let’s take the first verse and see how we sound, okay?”

_“You've actually been looking out for me since childhood, you've always heard me out, so you deserve a lot of my thanks…”_

 

Len inspected Miku’s apartment carefully – he hadn’t been inside since Kaito had arrived.  He wasn’t exactly sure what he’d expected find though… aside from the obvious signs of a second person living there, it appeared perfectly normal.

“So… Kaito’s…. pretty tidy, huh?” he said.

“Oh yea, he’s always really big about not wanting to impose too much on me,” Miku said as she casually tossed her raincoat on the wall and slipped her shoes off, “Ugh… I had to practically beg him to stay here.  The guy almost DIED and he still didn’t want to make a big fuss over anything.”

Len felt a little guilty at some of his baser suspicions of Kaito – of course he had no way of knowing how the former Seruva had come to live with Miku.  And of course, had he not seen a flying Gakupo and a magic wielding Kaito and Luka with his own two eyes, he definitely wouldn’t have believed Miku a few weeks ago.  But still… he needed to be willing to steel his heart and move forward.  If Kaito hadn’t said anything to Miku yet, he still had a chance.

“So, what kind of stuff did you have in mind for us anyway?” Miku asked, “Rin’ll clean our clocks if we just do one of your usual duets.”

‘ _Rin._ Why do you have to make this stuff so _awkward_?!’

Sometimes he couldn’t tell if her insistence on slamming him and Miku together was legitimately good concerns or simply her romance obsession kicking into overdrive.  “Well, there’s all kinds of stuff we could try,” Len said, “You have a really high voice and… um… I don’t…”

Miku laughed.  “Oooo… have I uncovered your secret?” she said, “You only work with one person?”

Len smirked at her.  “Well… if that’s how it’s going to be,” he said, “Then I’m making YOU pick the song!  That way I know you’ll take the practice seriously!”

Technically he knew he shouldn’t be teasing her like this if he was going to just confess his attraction to her, but by now Len knew when Miku was playing around with him.  She grabbed her laptop out of her bedroom and sat down on the futon.  Tentatively, Len sat down on the futon with him.

“Hmmmm… so many choices for us….” Miku said, clicking through the files.

Suddenly she had a devilish grin on her face as she pointed to a song.  “Hee hee… I think I know a good one for the two of us…”

Len looked at the lyrics and gawked.  “Crybaby Boyfriend!?” he shouted.

“You said you’d let _me_ pick!” Miku laughed, “So no whining!”

‘Ugh… Miku, why do you make these things so _hard!_ ’

 

As Rin flipped through her notebook of songs, she could practically feel Gakupo’s eyes on her.  She had no idea what to say to him.  Clearly, he felt the same way as he wasn’t making small talk.  The silence in the room grew more and more uncomfortable.

‘Okay… uh… Meltdown?  That might work as a duet but…’

She imagined Gakupo’s powerful voice cracking on a high note and thought against it.

She tried to think of the sorts of songs she shared with Len.  Their voices always carried such a similar range it was easy for them to play off of each other.  Plus they knew each other inside and out, every note and technique.  But she and Gakupo were night and day – their voices had two different ranges, two styles.  She was looking for a completely different song…

‘I… I know he’s scary… but… this isn’t going to work if I don’t get to know him better…’

She swallowed and tried to think of anything to say to him.  As she lifted her head from the notebook, she saw Gakupo’s eyes tracking her pet fish in the bowl she’d purchased for it.  “Oh!  That’s Oliver, the one you got for me!”

As Gakupo’s eyes shifted to Rin, it took all of her restraint to not make a sound.  At least when he was sitting down, he wasn’t towering over her.  “Did…did… did you have a pet?” she asked, trying to control her stuttering.

“We don’t keep companion animals amongst the Seruva.”

“Oh…”

The conversation dropped again.  “Oliver… is an interesting name…” Gakupo finally said.

“… I named him after my big brother.”

Rin’s grip on the binder grew a little tighter.  “So… so I know to take good care of him.”

Gakupo looked perplexed.  “I assume your brother is no longer with us?”

Rin shook her head.  “I see… my apologies.”

“It’s okay… I wouldn’t have named the fish you gave me after him if I didn’t want to talk about him…”  
 Rin said sadly.

“Were you a triplet then?”

“Aww… that would have been cool!” Rin said with a happy sigh, “He was the Hearts’ only child, before they adopted us.”

Rin gazed at the little fish floating around the bowl without a care in the world.  “But the Hearts… they were always so cold.  They made me and Len and Oliver sing together all the time.  We were educated at home… and Oliver was the only person who was really nice to us.  It was like he looked out for us even though our parents wouldn’t.  But… he started getting really sick all the time and… one day he didn’t come back from the hospital.”

Rin hoped Gakupo hadn’t seen the tears forming in her eyes.  “Um… what's your family like, Gakupo? Any brothers or sisters?”

Maybe now that he didn’t have to keep a secret about his past, he could tell her about his family.  A decent conversation starter, right?

“No.”

… or not.

Gakupo let out a strong sigh.  “My apologies… it’s not a terribly common story for humans, is it?” he said, “About… twelve years ago?  Yes… a plague ripped through the Seruva.  Our numbers were so small already, there’s not one of us alive that didn’t lose at _least_ one family member in it.”

“…. Did you?”

“…. Both of my parents.”

Gakupo told the story so casually Rin briefly wondered if he truly felt anything about losing his family so swiftly.  “But… but… you guys have all those healing powers!” Rin protested.

At this, Gakupo smiled bitterly.  “Magic is little use against disease.  We’re just as reliant as humans on medicine for such ailments… and I understand humanity has advanced _far_ beyond our kind in that regard.”

Now Rin just felt guilty for making him think of something so sad.  But Gakupo looked at her with such understanding eyes… was he trying to soften up his scary face?  “It’s an understandable question, Rin.  As I said, most Seruva have some form of my story.  Luka lost her parents in the same plague.  Kaito lost his father and his aunts in the plague, and his mother died a few years later.”

This time when his eyes met Rin’s, she didn’t feel the need to jump.  “We all have a story.  What defines us isn’t the story, but how we write it ourselves.”

‘Wow… Gakupo thinks… deep stuff…’ Rin thought to herself.

She stared at her book of songs and realized nothing in it was going to work.  She let out a long sigh.  “I’m sorry… I’m still not sure what kind of song we should sing together… ugh, and this was MY idea too…”

“What’s giving you so much trouble?” Gakupo asked.

Rin didn’t want to admit the real reason but… “I think I’m just too used to singing with Len… your voice is so different from his…”

“So you need a song that works with two different voices.”

Gakupo wore a sly grin on his face.  “If you’re all right with learning a Seruva ballad… I know a song designed to be performed in rounds, by two singers with distinct voices each carrying their own melody…”

A ballad?!  “Is it MAGIC?!”

Gakupo’s laugh was _so_ deep…  “We sing more than just magic ballads, Rin!”

She huffed in embarrassment.  “I… I didn’t know… but I’d… I’d still like to learn…”

At least he looked comfortable around her now.  “Excellent… it’s called ‘Dreaming Little Bird…’”

 

As the week progressed, the duet pairs continued to meet during the afternoons during Vocaloid practice hours, trying to iron out their chosen songs for an expected performance by Saturday.  If Rin had hoped her elaborate plan to get Miku and Len together would finally work, she was quickly disappointed.  Every evening when her brother came home, the first question out of her mouth was the same: “Did you tell her yet?!”

Len, for his part, found it rather difficult to approach Miku on such a sensitive topic because her mind seemed to be everywhere _but_ on their song.  Working on the duet with her helped get some of her focus back, but he also couldn’t easily release his feelings of jealousy.  It seemed like _everything_ in her life revolved around Kaito now.  How was he supposed to compete with a guy that basically fell out of the sky and into her house?!

While one of the duos was clearly struggling, the other two flourished in the challenge.  In spite of Rin having started off their duet being terrified of her partner, a few days of singing by his side seemed to make him a much less imposing presence. Similarly, Gakupo began to relax more around her as well, throwing himself into his every performance.

Luka experiment in making Kaito sing more pleasant songs paid off, as he smiled far more often during their performances now.  If she’d ever felt the urge to tell him her true identity, she always found a personal excuse to ignore it.  Which proved easy to do as whether Kaito realized it or not, a certain pigtailed girl was a common character in his conversations now. Luka could hardly deafen herself to his excited melodies – she kept expecting Kaito to ask her for advice on how to approach her friend yet he seemed innocently unaware of the depth of feeling he expressed when he spoke of her.

But soon Luka’s excuses were irrelevant. For the longer Kaito sang with his partner, the more some of his strange memories gained clarity. 

On Thursday morning, Kaito awoke with full recollection of the face of the friend he’d lost.

 

As Kaito walked over to Luka’s apartment, he closed his damp umbrella, gently shaking off the clinging water droplets.  Approaching the door, he backed off as it swung wide open.  Gakupo began to leave before getting tugged back by Luka.  She wrapped her arms around him as he bent in and kissed her.

Kaito coughed and Gakupo pulled back from Luka.  “Oh!  You’re… early.”

Kaito tried to hide his embarrassment at interrupting something so… intimate. Luka had a contented smile on her face as she looked away from both men.  “Len wanted to get an early start with Miku… so I figured I’d do the same.”

The notes in Gakupo’s laughter were the most genuine Kaito had heard out of him since the warrior arrived on Earth.  “I’ll be sure to tell Rin-chan you’re being so studious…” he said.

‘Rin-chan?’ Kaito thought.  “Has she adopted you too?”

Gakupo leaned against the open door, a kind smile on his face. “No, but she’s quite the hard worker.  She’s already memorized Dreaming Little Bird!”

Kaito smiled at hearing the title of the song.  “I remember that!” he said, “They performed that in the spring pageants every year!”

“We’ve already gotten the harmonies down,” Gakupo said, “Actually… she seemed to learn it after I sang it only once…”

Kaito looked surprised.  “Wait… a _human_ learned a song like that?  On the first try?!”

“Len and Rin have always been able to learn songs immediately,” Luka said.

Gakupo seemed to understand Kaito’s implication.  “And the two of them always sing in such perfect synchronicity…” he murmured.

He let out a dismissive grunt, putting his hands in his pockets.  “It’s not that important… I’ll leave the two of your to your performances.”

Gakupo waved a hand to Kaito as he sauntered off.  “I’m glad those two are getting along…” Luka said as Kaito followed her into her apartment, “Gakupo was convinced Rin was _frightened_ of him...”

As the door closed, Kaito’s stride inside slowed as he watched her shuffling around the apartment, doing some mild cleaning.  The couch cushions were in obvious disarray… he tried not to think about _why_. 

Luka seemed to pick up on his silence and stared at him with curious eyes.  “Kaito, is something wrong?”

He deserved the truth… he just feared learning it.  Finally he spat out what needed to be said.  “Luka… we used to know each other in the past, didn’t we?”

Luka’s happy demeanor fled her.  She folded her hands over her heart, clutching the tie hanging around her neck.

“Luka… I started to remember you… just fragments… but you attended to my family as a priestess, didn’t you?”

Her grip on her tie grew tighter – her silence answer enough.  “Why did you keep it from me?”

Luka looked away, her eyes filled with tears.  “Because you didn’t remember me… and I was afraid they’d told you something awful about me…”

For several minutes, the only noise in the apartment was the rain against the windows.  Luka seemed to be struggling to speak.  The longer she stood their twisting her tie, the more Kaito’s anxiety increased. 

“… were you the assassin?” he asked.

“If you truly believe that… my answer won’t matter…” she said.

…he didn’t know what to believe. 

“I… I kidnapped you, actually.”

Kaito’s mind returned to Luka’s story when she’d finally confessed to being a Seruva. 

_I tried to save a friend from the Elders. I broke every law we had to do it. I… never found out what happened to him._

The human city in his dreams… he felt his nerves tingling as the realization of her confession truly hit him.

“Luka… that boy you brought to the human world… that was _really_ me?”

Her silence became far more nerve-wracking then her words as Kaito sifted through what this meant for him if it was true.  “But… the Elders told me I’d been attacked!  I was unconscious for weeks!  They said I never left the islands…”

He clutched his chest. “Meiko… said I was unconscious when my mother died… I didn’t even get to say goodbye…”

Either the Elders and Meiko were lying… or Luka was.  Unless the memories floating around his head were wrong – some trick of the Noise.  What was he supposed to believe?!  “Why would they lie to me?!” he gasped.

“I assume it would have something to do with the ‘sealing’ your mother warned me about before she told me to take you and run.”

Seal of the Seruva.  “Luka, please, tell me what a seal is!  All the Heralds keep talking about it right before they vanish!” Kaito begged.

“I… I don’t know…” Luka said.  Kaito strained to hear any signs of deception in her voice, but failed to hear even a single wrong note.  “Believe me, Kaito!  I wish I knew!  It’s the key to all of this, somehow!”

Her hands shook around her strained tie.  “Lady Prima was in the middle of another fit… I was trying to calm her, to assure her I wouldn’t leave…”

His mother’s death… The Elders had claimed she had a terminal disease.  He’d had snatches of recollection that her death had been unpleasant, a series of violent seizures and hallucinations. 

“Lady Prima was like… another mother to me…” Luka admitted, “To see her suffering so… I would have done anything alleviate her pain.  She wouldn’t stop crying out for you.  You were rarely far away, but you’d also started your Spirit Caller training since… obviously, Lady Prima was in no state of mind to speak to the spirits.”

“But all of a sudden… I… I can’t explain it, but it was as if for a few moments, she was entirely lucid.  And she told me one thing.”

Kaito swallowed hard, anticipating Luka’s next sentence.  “Take Kaito and fly as far away from the Islands as you can.  Never let them seal my son.”

Luka’s expression somehow became even more dour.  “I… I did exactly as she asked.  As soon as you came back from prayers… I grabbed you and told you your life was in danger.  And… we left the Islands.”

The pink-haired woman looked outside at the rain, her notes growing melancholy.  “Of course, what would a child know to keep you safe in the human world?  By the time the warriors found me, I’d separated from you… and… I never saw you again.”

“Meiko… Meiko was there.  When they Severed my wings and cast me out.”

“…was Gakupo?”

Luka shook her head.  “I… I couldn’t be with him if he was.”

Kaito had spent his life serving the Elders, to the point where he assumed he’d die in a prayer hall still trying to gasp out the last words of the ancestors.  He’d let them have complete control over him and the proclamations he made, always “For the good of the Seruva.”  When he lost the voices of the ancestors, he still covered for them… always, “For the good of the Seruva.”

Was it _all_ a lie!?  Was _Luka_ lying?!

He grasped at his head.  “I don’t remember anything…” he whispered, “And… I don’t even know why…”

A few moments of silence passed.  “Luka… what did they do to me?”

She looked to Kaito, her eyes filled with sympathy.  “I’ve told you all I know.  If Meiko is the High Priestess now, she probably knows… but it’s sounding more and more like she’s not the person she used to be when we were children.”

He heard the sadness in Luka’s voice.  “It’s funny… I really idolized her as a child… she was so much stronger than me.  She used to argue with the Elders about your welfare all the time… but listening to Gakupo… we may as well have known two different people.”

Meiko… of course _Kaito_ remembered her in happier days.  He still had clear memories of _her_.  But ever since his ascension, since the death of his mother, the benevolent protector morphed into a cold, manipulative person, obsessed only maintaining perfect order.  “For the good of the Seruva.”   
  
‘But maybe it wasn’t mother dying…’ he thought to himself.  If the kind-hearted girl had been forced to watch one of her charges endure a Severing… how might that change her?

Kaito silently took a seat on the couch, staring out at the rain falling against the cars outside.  “Luka…” he said softly, “Let’s… let’s not practice tonight.  Okay?”

She couldn’t meet his gaze.  “If you’re not able… then no, we shouldn’t.”

Luka… was his friend.  She’d always been his friend.  Even when she knew she’d been erased from his mind, she did everything she could to protect him.  He knew he should be angry that she’d lied to him but… they were Vocaloids.

“Luka… could you tell me about what we were like as kids?”

She looked up at Kaito in surprise, but slowly a smile spread upon her face and she released her thoroughly crumpled tie.  “I’d love to.”

 

_“Will the day come when the bird cooped in the cage has a dream?  If I can stay by your side when you shed tears, my will to stay here shall never waver.”_

Two utterly different voices chasing two melodies.  Rin let out a cheer as they finished the piece – she’d never thought she’d have this much fun performing with someone _other_ than her brother.  “Gakupo, you’re good at this!” she said, “You know, I really _did_ think you were a street performer before because you’re so good!”

“When I was a child, I performed in the pageants with my mother… we Seruva all value the strength of melodies and song, be we bards or warriors!”

“So you were an actor too!?  No wonder you talk so weird!” Rin giggled.

“Eh?  What’s unusual about my method of speech?”  The taller man appeared perplexed, causing Rin to giggle even harder at his own ignorance.

At least he didn’t appear _angry_.  Letting Rin’s laughter die down, he grew more serious.  “Rin-chan, I _did_ find it unusual you learned the song so quickly... well, unusual for a human.”

Rin bounced onto the couch, still filled with energy from her duet.  “Well… Len and I have always been able to do that…” she said, “Our parents were always drilling us like crazy too.  Trying to get us to sing in these weird recording studios.”

She stuck her tongue out.  “It was awful!  They’d make all three of us sing for _hours_ , and it was _never_  good enough for them!”

With a huff, she added “But they didn’t take my love of singing from me!  Now, I sing for me!  And for Vocaloids!”

Gakupo looked curious.  “I’ve heard of difficult parents but… that does sound excessive…” he said.

Rin looked over at Oliver the Goldfish encircling his bowl.  “Our parents were always weird,” she said, “I guess because Len and I are weird too.”

Again she stuck out her tongue.  “But this isn’t really practice, is it?!” she said, “I don’t wanna talk about my dumb parents anyway!”

Gakupo waved a hand in defeat.  “I was merely curious about your upbringing,” he said, “Though now I have another curiosity.”

He looked at Rin with those piercing eyes and suddenly for the first time in a few days, she felt nervous talking to him.  “Rin-chan, you were present during the fight with the last Herald.  Do you think you could humor me and try to replicate the song you heard us use when we created shields?”

“Whaaat?  But… you guys said…”

“I don’t expect results,” Gakupo added, “I just want to know how good you really are at picking up on a new song.”

‘Fine… guess I’ll humor him…’

Rin took a few steps into the living room, trying to find a clear space.  She extended her hands as she’d seen her dear Kaito-niisan do.  With a shout, she tried to sing the short melody he’d cried out to protect her.  Her heart pounded at that memory… she’d been terrified for her life but her “brother” had saved her.

Sadly, no shield of light erupted in the middle of the Kagamines home.  Rin let out a sigh of disappointment.  “Aw… that would have been so cool…” she muttered.

“It was still impressive, you mimicked it perfectly without anyone teaching you,” Gakupo said, “You shouldn’t even be able to hear a Seruva’s battle songs.  Our second voices are supposed to be undetectable to human ears.”

“But… but Miku can hear you guys!” Rin pointed out.

“I personally suspect it’s due to all the time she spent training her ear for song with an actual Seruva…” he mused aloud, “Though… it is surprising you can do so well.”

“Is that bad?” Rin said, starting to get scared.

The older man shook his head.  “To the contrary… it makes you special, Rin-chan.”

‘AH!  Gaku-niichan thinks I’m special!’ she thought to herself.  ‘Wait… Gaku… niichan?’

Wasn’t he supposed to be the scariest person she’d ever met? 

Still, if he wasn’t _that_ scary now… she’d had a question on her mind ever since she’d seen his lovely white wings for the first time.

“Ah… Gakupo…” she said, blushing, “Can I…. Can I… your wings…”

He looked confused.  “What about them?” he asked.

“…can I touch them?  Just once?”

Rin covered her face in embarrassment.  Gakupo blinked then suddenly let out one of his mighty laughs.  “If you so wish,” he said.

Rin walked over to him and delicately extended her index finger.  She softly tapped one of the feathered appendages… and felt a wave of peace rush over her on contact.  ‘They’re… so… sofffffffft…. Softer than kitten’s fur… softer than a teddy bear… ahhhhhhhhh…’

She didn’t even notice the goofy grin on her face.  “Does Luka like them too?”

At that moment, Rin discovered the Gakupo could blush.  “Well, is that why she’s dating you?”

“You… have an unusual knack… for phrasing…” he stammered.

“Well, I think it’s romantic!” Rin said, “The fallen wingless priestess, locked to the Earth for years… and the mighty winged warrior who ferries her around the sky!  Ahhhhh!  I’m so jealous of my sweet sempai for having such an EPIC romance!”

She stopped rambling when she noticed Gakupo was several shades redder.  “Um… are you okay?”

He let out a cough.  “That’s a very… Rin-chan thing to say…” he finally said.

 

 

_“The ring…”_

_“Chosen to match yours…”_

_“I put into my pocket…”_

_“It will hurt…”_

_“Your feelings…”_

_“I realize that…”_

_“But I must say it now!”_

Len stopped the song and grumbled. “Miku… You were late on that harmony.  Did you really practice?  The whole point is that they have two conflicting feelings that they choose to express… _at the same time!_ ”

Miku and Len had spread out in the lobby of her apartment building to have some more space for their dance routine.  Her laptop was plugged into an electrical outlet.

Miku laughed half-heartedly.  “Sorry… I've got a lot on my mind…”

Len figured he might get away with a light joke. “Sure you weren't just up late watching mushy movies?”

“Har, har,” Miku said, “I was totally doing Vocaloids work, I promise!  I even asked Kaito to sing your parts for me so I'd be able to practice with another person…”

Len prickled at hearing Miku prattling on about Kaito again.  For some reason, just thinking about the blue-haired man rattled him.  What was it about Kaito and his performances that made him so much better anyway!?

This morning he’d snapped at Rin as she tried to coax him into another confession… an action he promptly regretted.  Rin just wanted him to be happy… Miku was their first real friend and she understood why he’d fallen for her.  He just hated having so much pressure on something so important.  _Kaito_ probably didn’t have these problems…

Time to play things cool for Miku, get her mind off of him.  “Come on Miku, if you just wanted to practice some more, you could have come over to my place…”

At that, Miku looked embarrassed.  “Well, I mean I didn’t want to interrupt your time with your sister…” she said, “Plus, Kaito wasn’t half bad…”

She got a dreamy look in her eyes.  “Maybe the next time we do duets, I’ll get him to be my partner…”

“Sorry I’m not a good enough partner for you,” Len huffed.

The jealous melody playing in his heart prevented him from hiding his bitter feelings.  He glanced up at Miku who looked hurt.  “Len, you’ve been acting really weird all week,” Miku said, “Did I do something wrong?  Am I really that lousy?”

‘Yep… knocking this one out of the park, Len…’ he thought to himself.  If he was trying to _confess_ to her… getting angry wouldn’t help.

“It’s not you, Miku… it’s just been… well… crazy, you know?  I mean, bird people?  And magic?  Nearly getting blown up?! That’s a lot for a guy to take in!”

Miku appeared relieved, so Len hoped he’d thrown her off the scent.  “Yea… it was pretty overwhelming for me too…” Miku admitted, “I mean, I found Kaito and… and I thought he was dead… then he fixed himself up and… I mean, I barely knew him and I was fighting off those crazy people at the wharf!”

Kaito _again_.  Len had known Miku for years and never made this much of an impression on her, and somehow this jerk did it over summer break?!

“Well, none of this is getting us any closer to learning this song!” Len said, “So.. why don’t we try the choreography, huh?”

Miku brightened.  “Oh yea, I was trying some new steps out last night with Kaito!  Here, let me show you…”

Finally Len felt his feelings boil over – how could he _possibly_ keep trying to compete with Kaito?!  “Miku, is there one stupid thing in your life that you do anymore that doesn’t have to do with Kaito?!” he snapped, “You don’t sing by yourself, you don’t dance by yourself, what do you honestly do by yourself anymore?!”

He saw Miku’s eyes fill with tears and he instantly regretted every single word.  Miku hadn’t done _anything_ wrong and he’d just blown up at her.  “Len… I’m sorry…” she said, “I… I just wanted to help him… I didn’t want to hurt Vocaloids…”

Miku stood up and started running for the door of the lobby, seemingly ignorant of the pouring rain.  Len didn’t move, planted in place, his feelings and the dissonant song rooting him in place.  He didn’t hate Miku… he hated the person he couldn’t best.  The one who’d stolen her heart.

He barely registered static appearing on Miku’s laptop screen as a fragmented entity of light in a female form began to emerge…

 

Tears flowed freely down Miku’s face.  Yes, she knew she was close to Kaito.  Yes, she knew she deeply cared for him.  And yes… she knew that deep down, she had stronger emotions for him than she’d felt for any person she’d ever met.

But having Len call her feelings out so callously?  She must have been truly selfish for Len to think that about her… even so, that didn’t give him the right… this whole project was turning into a disaster and it was her fault…

With a crash, she knocked over someone entering the lobby.  “Oh my god… I’m so sorry!” she said, trying to apologize.

“Ah HA!  Paydirt!”

Miku looked up in fright as she was eye to eye with Megpoid Gumi, who had a dark gleam in her eyes.  “Finch tipped me off you lived around her and damn, I just hit gold!  C’mere you, you’re going to tell me _all_ about that fireworks lady at the hanabi!”

Miku didn’t want anything to do with Gumi or her maddening questions.  She just wanted to be alone… she began to turn and run into the lobby again, hoping to stay out of her way.  “HEY!  Get back here, information saboteur!”

‘Leave me… just leave me!  Please!’

But as Miku burst back into the lobby, all her miseries vanished as she walked in to the sight of a winged, featureless female form emerging from her laptop.  Her body resembled the jagged nature of pixels… and her hair began to split into long tendrils to reach for Len.  The boy’s eyes were blank, his body still – she realized what was happening and lunged through the air to drag him to safety.

As she jumped between them, knocking Len to the floor, she felt the tendrils wrap around her, pixels and electrical charges flying off of them.  Dragging her into the laptop, the creature appeared unmoved as Miku flailed around looking for anything to free herself with.

“…I… am… MiRIAM HERALD OF NOISE!”

The Herald’s voice broke up, like badly compressed audio.  Gumi reached forward and tried to grab on to Miku’s hand. “LET GO OF MY SOURCES!” she shouted.

“M…Miku?” Len mumbled.

Gumi’s death grip wasn’t enough as Miku crossed the threshold, her body breaking apart into data and drawn into an ever deafening cacophony of horrible sounds and energy…

 

Len snapped back to attention as the melody left him… only to watch Miku slip away from Gumi’s hands. “MIKUUUUU!” he screamed.  He tried to grab her again only for her hands to distentigrate into light and energy and disappear inside the machine.

As Miriam’s body broke apart and followed Miku’s path, the laptop screen flickered and returned to the girl’s Kasane Teto desktop.

“Miku…” he choked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Len.  ALWAYS getting his confessions ruined by the Noise!
> 
> And welcome to our next Herald.  She hails from England, is named after her voice provider Miriam Stockley, and her hobbies include consuming human life!  Like the last several Heralds I picked, she has no official design.  I had a little fun this time and deliberately obscured all of her distinguishing features.  Frankly, I wanted a Herald that came out of the Internet and Miriam was a strong choice given Stockley was herself quite vocal about the inevitably of technology substituting for real singers.
> 
> I’m starting to break down on the honorifics… I couldn’t think of a “cute” nickname for Rin that Gakupo could use, so I just started using “Rin-chan” to show greater familiarity.  I just assume he would have been using more formal honorifics up until this point.  I really don’t want to break away from Rin’s “niisan” and “niichan” habit since it’s important that she keeps adopting people as “big brothers” and “big bro” often sounds weird.
> 
> **SONG CREDITS:** Argh, why do I keep making Kaito and Luka sing together, they have NO duets!  But I did in fact find a pleasant duet of Miku’s “[Ai Kotoba](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I99W834WSVQ)” over on Youtube...  so that became their song.  Gakupo and Rin sing “[Dreaming Little Bird](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgsGOJriCkc).”  Actually, I didn’t realize there was such a strong GakuRin shipping fandom until I had to research this chapter and I just expected it would be harder but they ended being the easiest pair to grab a song for.  Because while there’s a number of good MikuLen songs, most of them weren’t translated!   But "[Crybaby Boyfriend](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YENeSl45l4)" is, and thus they are the only pair singing a song originally performed by them.  The chapter title calls out the famous Kagamine series “Synchronicity.”  “Lie” was also a duet by Circus P, though a Kaito and Luka version exists.  Luka pretty much summed up why I didn’t use it.


	10. The Disappearance of Hatsune Miku

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Herald Miriam has made off with Miku, turning her into data and escaping into the internet. How can the Vocaloids track an opponent who can disappear into packets of data and hop from computer to computer in the blink of an eye? As if such a creature would EVER be a challenge for the mad skillz of Megpoid Gumi! But taking Miriam on becomes a bigger challenge when she has back up in the form of two dangerous people with no sense of fear. Rin and Len Kagamine have always had questions about their origins, but they may not be happy to learn the answers!

Screeching, screaming, crying, scraping, static, pleading. Fragments of voices, partial sentences. “HELP! WHERE AM-“ “-MOM, I MISS Y-“ “-WANT- HOME- PLEASE”

Fragments of personalities with their individual wants and needs.  Connected entities of binary strings.  They were both at once and nothing at all.

A burst of packets dropped into the void, a connected system of individuality.  In the face of all the confusion and sounds, it began to break apart as they had.  Losing all sense of self, it tried to cling to something, anything to retain its identity…

“POSITIVE… POSI…TIVE….”  


As suddenly as the Herald had burst from the laptop, it vanished again.  “Miku!  Miku!” Len cried out in futility.

“Move it, kid!” Gumi shouted, swiping the laptop from Len’s shaking hands, “This is grownup stuff!”

As the emerald-haired hacker’s hands became a blur of frantic typing, Len began to creep away.  One of her arms shot out and she grabbed the boy.  “Not that far, kiddo…”

“Okay, seriously, there is NO way you’re that much older than me!” Len shouted, trying to push her hand away.

“Start talking.  Who’s the broad?” Gumi said, somehow maintaining perfect concentration on her task, “Winged crazies keep popping up in this city, people disappear or get blown up, and your girlfriend showed up _every time_.  Fill me in while I find her.”

“You can find Miku!?” Len asked.

Gumi’s smile made Len think of a cat with a bead on a mouse. “That Miriam chick left these weird packets behind… like bread crumbs.”

She gave Len a sideways look.  “Now, surely the son of the Hearts knows all kinds of dirt?”

Miku was missing and this girl just wanted to fish for a story out of him!?  “I told you at the park!  My sister and I cut them out of our lives!”

Gumi chuckled as if talking to someone far lower than her.  “If I know ANYTHING about Leon and Lola Heart… they don’t let ANYONE just up and walk away.”

Finally Len got his sore wrist free from Gumi.  “If you’re threatening me OR Rin…”

The girl’s hands darted above the keys as her eyes tracked across dozens of pop up screens at once.  “There’s no way they’re not involved in these attacks!” Gumi fumed, “They own every inch of this city, and they do spooky stuff in their R&D labs!  They’ve got a lock on the press AND the government turns a blind eye to em’!  It’s the people’s right to know _why_!”

Of course Len had suspicions about his parents.  He knew what kind of people they were.  But… he and Rin left so they could live as normal children.  Go to school and hang out with friends and have silly impossible dreams like being famous singers.

“Gumi… I promise, I don’t know anything, at all, about what the Hearts are up to.”

Lightning flashed outside as the stor intensified.  “Believe me…. If I thought they had _anything_ to do with hurting Miku… I wouldn’t cover for them.”

 

Luka’s mind felt weary but joyful as she’d spent the last hour regaling Kaito with tales of their lost childhood together.  No matter how simple or trivial, any detail could possibly be the key to solving his memory lapse, she hoped.  Lady Prima serving the children fruit bowls on a summer’s day.  Morning prayers together.  Hide and seek behind a waterfall.

“AH!  I remember the waterfall!  Meiko cheated, she kept throwing her voice in the caverns so we wouldn’t hear her sneaking up on us!”

Even if they weren’t helping, Luka loved being able to finally share happy memories with the boy she’d grown up with, feared for, and met again after fate had seemingly decreed they would spend the rest of their days apart. 

_“With your broken wings, you were desperately looking up at the sky… In this vast land, lonely silence is played…”_

Luka’s  reluctantly picked up her phone… and heard Len’s frantic voice.  Her happy mood evaporated.

“Kaito… we need to go over to Miku’s apartment building, now.  There’s a Herald and…”

The notes in her voice gave everything away. “What happened to Miku!?”

 

As Kaito pushed open the doors to the building, he tried to keep his fears in check.  Somehow, Miku had disappeared into the Noise.  He had no idea what would happen to her.  What if he couldn’t restore her?  Living the rest of his life without Miku was too horrible to contemplate.  He tried to reassure himself that every time he’d fought Heralds in the past, their victims always returned.  He had to trust that he had the power to bring Miku back.

As they entered the lobby, Kaito saw the familiar face of Gumi hunched over Miku’s laptop.  She had one of her own plugged in nearby and somehow had the technical wizardry to keep track of both at once.  “Sup?  So _you’re_ 2xLariat!” Gumi said loudly, not removing her focus from the screens, “Man, you made me look like a doofus at the park!”

“Sorry Gumi, I couldn’t give away my identity like that,” Luka said, “We needed… caution.  I’m sure now you understand why.”

Kaito regarded the strange girl with suspicion.  “Is it wise for her to be part of this?”

“Pffff… Luka here’s my homie, I’ve ALWAYS been part of this!” Gumi retorted.

Luka wore an embarrassed smile.  “Gumi was investigating some odd disappearances starting about a year ago,” she began to explain, “I never gave up trying to locate you, Kaito.  I thought that maybe if Gumi could find out stories and people that flew under the radar… maybe she could lead me to you…”

She put a weary hand to her head.  “My knowledge of the Seruva and my powers gave me knowledge she didn’t possess so we helped each other.  I never told her about the Seruva directly of course but…”

“Yea, don’t worry, Shortstuff spilled that already,” Gumi interrupted, “Bird guys, magic voices.”

“Gumi… you’re close to finding Miku, right?”

The normally solid Len sounded positively terrified, and Kaito mirrored his fears.  He thought back to his nightmare, the twisting, screeching, pulsing force trying to wrench him limb from limb.  The idea of _Miku_ being ripped apart and scattered into nothingness while he stood there safe and sound…

“Gumi, was it?”

Kaito was momentarily startled by the sound of Gakupo’s voice before he realized Luka was holding her phone out.  He hadn’t even noticed when she called him…  “We have two problems – we must not only contain the Herald, but we must eliminate her source of power.”

Gumi blew a wisp of hair out of her face as she typed. “So what, do these guys just pop out of a portal and start blowing things sky high?!”

“We still don’t know,” Kaito said truthfully, “So far only Miku and I have engaged every Herald.”

He hesitated for a moment.  He chose to keep quiet about Gakupo’s transformations for the time being. The warrior never claimed to be a Herald even when completely mad, and his behaviors bore little in common with theirs. 

“So far we’ve always found a device… a Noise Generator… within the area of a Herald’s attack.”

“The first Herald arrived in a liquor cellar, the second within a club, and the third at the hanabi...” Luka said as she worked things out vocally.

“Haku’s generator was in a wine barrel, Yuma’s inside of a speaker, and Mizki’s in a pile of fireworks…” Kaito continued.

“Did they not all utilize something very similar to their device’s location of origin to attack us?” Gakupo asked over the phone.

Kaito remembered the odd creatures summoned by Haku, Yuma’s perfect mastery of hypnotic music, and Mizki’s projectile fireworks.  “Perhaps… the Heralds are absorbing aspects of objects close to the Noise Generators they draw power from!” Kaito said.

“Wait!” Len exclaimed, “She’s in the Internet, right?! Maybe Miriam’s inside of a server farm!”

Gumi let out a whistle at Len’s display of logic.  “Couldn’t have put it together better myself,” Gumi said with a smirk, “Well, I probably could, I mean, I _am_ a writer slash genius…”

Her fingers flew across the keys.   “So, even _if_ Mirror has anything to do with these things, they wouldn’t be dumb enough to leave it on company property…” Gumi said, “So I bet I got a hunch where it is… and… EUREKA!”

She grabbed her phone, somehow operating a _third_ communication device to Kaito’s amazement.  Were _all_ humans this good at multitasking?  “Tsubasa City has a big data center downtown and it’s just spewing out packets like the ones I’m tracking down!” she crowed.

“But what about Miku!?” Rin shouted through the speaker phone.

“Oh, pffft, I think I gotta lock on this but…”

She looked up at Kaito with a sneaky expression.  “One condition.  I tell you where Miku is… _if_ you let me come along.”

“Are you seriously using Miku’s life as a bargaining chip?!” Kaito shouted.

Even Luka appeared surprised at his angry outburst, though Gumi seemed unphased.  “You guys owe me, big time.  And it’s not just her, ‘cousin.’  You’ve been keeping the lid on a bunch of monsters that have been kidnapping and hurting people for the past month.  It’s _my_ job to keep people safe!”

She put her knuckle under her chin and stared at Kaito with that infuriatingly wide smile.  “You guys do your thing with magic… I do mine with information,” she explained, “Now… deal?”

Kaito still had trouble believing Gumi was motivated by anything but self-interest, but she had a somewhat valid point buried in her argument.  “Just… stay out of the way of the fight,” he said, “These Heralds are dangerous people.  I’ll do everything in my power to protect you and everyone else, but we’ve been overpowered by them before.”

Gumi let out a whoop as she pressed an index finger to a key on her laptop.  Within seconds, the power went out in the entire building.  Kaito looked around in utter surprise.  “Gumi, the heck did you just do!?” Len exclaimed.

“She’s been traveling through LAN and Wifi, right?” Gumi explained, “I just figured the best way for you guys to get to her is to shut off her avenues of escape.  And she ain’t going _nowhere_ without any juice.”

Gumi folded up her laptop and stuffed it in her satchel while fiddling with her phone.  “I just blacked out about a 25-kilometer radius around the building she’s in… she’s in a cram school computer lab about now…”

“You stated that the device and the Herald are in different locations, yes?” Gakupo asked.

“You got it, pal!” Gumi said.

‘She hasn’t had time to give Gakupo a nickname, I see…’ Kaito thought to himself.

“Then I’ll send Rin-chan to catch up with you and I'll handle the generator alone…”

At that, Kaito heard a loud start from Rin.  “What?!  No way!  Gakupo, you can’t go by yourself!  I promise, I can help!”

_“Gakupo was convinced Rin was frightened of him.”_

Of course they’d told the Kagamines about Gakupo’s affliction.  It would be reckless not to. They’d seen him transformed once already.

Kaito hoped Gakupo understood the danger he was exposing himself to.  He had half a mind to demand that Gakupo simply come with him and Luka so they could keep him protected.  But then again… if the generator was far from battle, the Seruva might be able to take it out without facing any danger.  Given the time element, it made more sense to let the only member of their group that could fly cross the long distance and eliminate it as swiftly as possibly…

“Gakupo, you have to take me with you!  You don’t even know how to work the phone!  You’re holding it upside down!”

Luka snickered at the annoyed grunt Gakupo gave off.

“Okay, it’s settled!  Gakupo and I will call you as soon as we break that generator!  So you go do your superhero stuff, okay!?”

With that, the phone call ended.  “She’ll be safer with Gakupo,” Len admitted.

“You’re a thoughtful brother,” Luka said softly.

Len winced.  “I’m… not that thoughtful…”

 

On the drive across town, Len tried to remain calm but he still felt guilty for Miku's disappearance. Logically, he knew events would ha e played out the same even without the fight. Miku was just that kind of person. But that just made him feel worse for exploding at her.

Miku meant the world to both of the siblings. She was their first friend, and the first person to believe in them.  And she never knew just how much of a difference her and her wacky Vocaloids idea made in their lives.  The twins had finally begged and pleaded with their parents to let them attend school like normal teens.  Their intelligence allowed them to test all the way into high school at only 14.  He recalled how proudly Rin had danced around in her first school uniform as they sang their way to their first day of classes…

Their parents had flatly told them they’d never succeed.  “You’re not like them.”

...they were _right._   Nobody knew how to approach the odd child prodigies, and the Kagamines learned that years of near isolation from other children and teens left them completely unequipped to navigate the invisible social culture they’d missed out on.

By Friday, the twins were ready to give up, go home, and let their parents win.

Until a completely oblivious girl trying to start her own “super cool band club” broke her way into their lunch and begged the twins to join.

_“You sing like you're perfectly synced up!  It's so beautiful! We’re going to sound like nobody else in the world if you guys join!”_

… being different suddenly felt _great_ because of that silly girl.  Who had all the heart of Vocaloids, but not always the commitment.  Who always butted into other people’s problems.  Who’d shove a stupid, selfish boy out of the way of mortal danger and take it on herself…

…how could Len help falling for her?

 

Rin's heart pounded as Tsubasa City blurred past her.  She was really flying!  Though she was carefully tucked into her rain coat, the rain kept beating against her face… but who cares about rain anyway when she was _flying?!_ Trying to contain the excitement of being airborne was nearly too much for her to handle.

“When we approach the window, tuck your head in.”

Held tightly to Gakupo's body, Rin felt completely safe even as he swooped through the air.  “Okay, now Rin-chan!” Gakupo called out.

Rin curled up against his chest, keeping her face shielded.  Gakupo’s enormous wings moved in front of him as he smashed through the glass window.  Just as he promised, not even a single shard touched her.  He landed lightly, gently setting Rin on the floor.

She quickly surveyed the darkened hallways.  “Gakupo, I don’t hear anything…” Rin said.

“Don’t worry… I do.  Inform the others of our arrival.”

 

“They made it!”

Kaito heard Len’s voice as he rushed up the stairs.  “Good… we just need to keep this Herald contained!” he said.

“So do you have laser beam eyes!?”

“…no, Gumi.  Song magic.  We cast song magic.”

He could hear Dark Notes drifting through the building.  Someone was singing… her voice distorted as though being filtered through a machine…

_“Follow, follow me, I will take you far away, Away we go then… Now hurry, hurry…”_

Gakupo _would_ have the easier task.  Now even _Rin_ looked up to him… and how easy had it been for him to claim the heart of Luka with his smooth words when Kaito still couldn’t muster up the courage to tell Miku?  So simple for _him_ when he still had the skies and…

Kaito gasped.  He quickly summoned his second voice and projected the song of purification around his body.  Perhaps this dark emotion was how Miriam found her victims, trapping them in their own insecurities, shattering their bonds to those they loved, then drawing them away…

If she went after _Len_ first… Kaito couldn’t imagine what the cocky, confident boy could possibly envy.

“Is everyone okay?” he whispered.

“Ah, Blue, what was that?!” Gumi hissed, “All of a sudden I had all these weird thoughts in my head until you started singing…”

Even _Gumi_ had someone she felt envious towards… wait, _Blue?_ “I was trying drive back some of the Dark Notes… you need to keep alert, just like we told you, or she could drag you away…”

Gumi thumped her chest.  “Pfft, like some scary ol’ monster’s going to defeat the Great Gumini!”

At least she had enthusiasm.

“What about that classroom?” Luka asked, pointing to a wooden door with a class window.  Kaito approached and spied rows upon rows of sleek machines.  Carefully he pressed open the door…

…rolling to the floor as he saw digitized chains of pixels fly through the air.  Kaito quickly threw up a shield, watching it bounce off.  He saw a female form with wings partially extended from the computer. “I am MIRIam… HeraLD of NOissse!”

Her voice sounded corrupted when she tried to speak normally.  Kaito leapt to his feet, ready for a fight…

… when just as suddenly, Miriam vanished back into the computer screen.

“She ran away!” Kaito shouted.  Had he lost his only chance?

“This probably isn’t the only classroom with computers,” Luka said, “Gumi, you kept the power on in the entire building, right?”

“Yea… she’s been hopping around from system to system, so I locked her in the building,” Gumi explained, “Those weird packets show up in a lot of systems at once, actually.  Maybe she’s in more than one at a time?!”

“Then we don’t have a choice…” Kaito said reluctantly, “We… might need to split up into pairs.”

“Keep our eyes peeled for this thing and just let everyone else know?” Len asked, “Sure… that shouldn’t be difficult.”

“Okay, Kaito, Len, you two stick together and I’ll take Gumi,” Luka said, “That way each one of them has a Seruva keeping them safe.”

“WOOHOO!  I get Doubles!”

“I… sure…” Len said reluctantly, mystifying Kaito.  The boy had been acting strange around him all evening, but the danger of the situation prevented Kaito from trying to get to the bottom of it.

“Don’t worry Len, I’ll keep you safe,” Kaito said, trying to reassure him.

Len huffed.  “Sure.”

 

Gakupo tried to follow the discordant melody’s source while maintaining a solid grasp on his own.  As he’d come to expect, the moment he set foot in the building, he heard the telltale sounds of Dark Notes stirring in his heart.  Fortunately, he knew the Herald was across town.  He could simply smash the box and be done with it.  Hopefully that would keep himself and Rin safe.

He pressed open a door, his sword tight in his hand, only to see rows upon rows of tall metal cases with glass doors.  “What sort of machinery is this?” he asked in confusion.

“These are network servers,” Rin explained, “They’d all be connected to the Internet.”

She looked from case to case.  “Guess we’ll have to check each one…”

“No need,” Gakupo said, “It’s a rather clear melody.”

“Then… I’ll just follow you!” Rin said cheerfully.

To think for once it would all be over without a battle.  Normally that would have annoyed the warrior who craved a chance to use his skills.  But not when he was concerned about Rin…

“GAKUPO LOOK OUT!”

On hearing the girl’s shout, he instinctively placed a barrier over the both of them, knocking over several of the servers… and a tall woman in a white dress.  “Who are you?!” Gakupo shouted, placing himself between the interloper and Rin.

The woman leapt back up to her feet, the ribbons around her neck and shoulders twirling as she did so.  Something about the wretched smile on her face set even Gakupo on edge.  _“I'm a baaaaaad girl! And if you don't obey then I'll have to resort to baaaaaad things!”_

‘She serenades her opponent?’ he thought, ‘Wait…’

Gakupo glared at the woman in front of him.  “You mutilated my charge, did you not?”

She giggled and gave him a curtsy. “Oh, Big Al and I just salvaged a valuable!” she spoke, as though she were having pleasant conversation, “There’s not a lot of scrap with wings in this town.”

“ _Sweet Ann_.” Just saying her name felt like spitting out a vile poison.

She gave him a demented curtsy.  _“I don't do 'sweet', but I'll rot you to the core.”_

Her wild eyes returned to Gakupo as she clapped her hands together in glee.  “So I’m afraid I have to kill you!  Nothing personal… you’re in the way, that’s all.  But it’s also lovely!  I’ll finally salvage another set of wings!  Maybe then Al and I will fly! Marvelous!”

Trying to suppress the melody of destruction in his heart became far more trying when Gakupo found himself wishing to destroy the person in front of him.  “Rin-chan.  Take care of the generator.  I will _not_ let her lay a finger on you.”

“Gakupo…” she whispered.

Gakupo lifted his blade, refusing to turn his gaze from Sweet Ann.  “I trust you.”

_“If I let you survive the night, you're gonna beg for mooooooore!”_

His eyes glinted red.

 

Len heard his phone beeping.  “That’s Rin!” he said, “Maybe they got the generator!”

Kaito was peeking through a window to another room.  “I think I see her inside…” he whispered.

“… who’s Sweet Ann?”

At those words, Kaito whirled around at Len, looking terrified.  “Big Al and Sweet Ann are fighting Gakupo and Rin!?”

_“I'm at my breaking point, and it's all crashing down!”_

Before Len could answer, he heard a man’s voice sing out before the door Kaito was leaning against exploded outwards.  Kaito was slammed into the wall, pinned behind the door.  Holding him there was a hulk of a man with… Len thought it looked like a crown but he thought he saw _stiches_ along his forehead.  “Len… get… help…” Kaito gasped.

“I’m not leaving you!” he shouted, “Let Kaito go, you big freak!”

At Len’s words, the other man’s eyes flew to Len, who shuddered involuntarily at how unhinged he looked.  He had a wicked grin on his face.  “Sorry kid… under orders.  Our boss wants to know who’s been causing so much trouble for us!”

The boy’s hands shook.  “Did Mirror put you up to this?!” Len shouted. 

He hoped it wasn’t true… that his family _wasn’t_ involved…

“Classified.  But I’m not here to hurt _you_ so if you just _leave_ , that would simplify everything and-”

The door suddenly exploded with light, shattering into fragments.  Kaito rolled out from under his attacker as the man stumbled forward and into the wall.  “Len, we need to regroup!” Kaito shouted.

“I’m not arguing!” he grunted as the two took off down the halls.

 

Rin squeaked as she heard an explosion above her.  Apparently “Sweet Ann” wasn’t concerned with collateral damage and Gakupo probably didn’t realize how volatile the equipment he was fighting around could be.  But as she crawled along the floor, all she could think about was how badly she needed to break the piece of equipment that was holding Miku hostage.  Then she and Gakupo could just fly away.

As the furious fighting knocked over a set of servers in front of her, Rin saw a few black feathers touch the ground.  With some alarm, she poked her head up at the fight and saw Gakupo appearing as monstrous as he had in at the carnival.  ‘They said… it’s the Noise that keeps doing this to Gaku-niichan…’ she thought to herself.

She examined the wreckage around her and in the sparking, smoldering ruin of one of the servers, Rin spotted a strange black box laying upon the floor.  Just putting her hands on the box gave her a jolt of power.  She dropped it to the ground, her hands trembling.  If _Len_ were here, he’d know what to do… somehow, he’d fix it and why did he always have to be the one who knew better?  Or…

“ARRRRGH!  How dare you make me hate Len!” she screamed at the box, “I’m gonna smash you to PIECES!”

Rin grabbed a broken piece of metal and wielded it like a club…

 

Kaito ducked as a desk sailed over his head, trying not to lose sight of Big Al.  Why did _he_ of all people have to show up!?  He tried to suppress his fear of them, the sickening memories of what they’d stolen from him because in this moment right now, he’d gladly fight _both_ of those awful people if it meant keeping his friends safe.

“Rin and Gakupo got the generator!” Len shouted.

Kaito heard Luka’s voice as a pink shield covered the hall, just as a wooden desk shattered against it.  “Is that the Herald?!” she cried out.

“Holy crap, what’s Big Al doing here?!” Gumi shouted.

“The Generator’s gone!  We need to find Miriam!”

A flurry of angry punches from the aforementioned Big Al put cracks in Luka’s shield.  Kaito tried to put as much space between himself and Len.  “Len, keep running, I won’t let him touch you!” Kaito shouted as the blonde boy kept running in Luka and Gumi’s direction.  If Big Al only wanted _him_ …

_“Quiet, quietly, don't want anyone to hear us fly away, now…”_

Kaito followed the sound of Miriam’s voice to the room next to him.  “In there!”

Len and Gumi ran inside first, followed by Kaito and Luka as they layered a pair of shields over the door.  He was once more face to face with his target, extending herself from a computer monitor to make her last stand.  “Kaito, do it now and we can escape!” Luka shouted.

Of course, Kaito and Luka had failed to take something important into account when fighting Big Al.

He had no need for _doors_.

The classroom wall exploded into drywall, metal, and wood as the lumbering man plowed through it as though it were paper.  “ _I'm at my breaking point, and I’m a burn it down!”_ he sang out, still bearing that wretched smile.

Kaito moved to try and prevent his charge when he felt chains wrap themselves around his arms and neck, yanking him backwards.  As soon as he felt their touch, he felt his body beginning to break apart…

 

“No… I’m not giving up!” Kaito shouted as he struggled, “I have to save her!”

Len could only gape in horror as Miriam pulled Kaito back.  The man who’d gladly risked himself over and over for him, the only person capable of setting Miku free…

“Kaito!  I won’t lose you again!” Luka shouted, reaching out for him, only to find herself nearly decked by a punch from Big Al.  She turned to force up a series of shields that the wretched man kept hurling himself against, cracking each one with the impact.  Clearly if she was trying to protect Kaito from Big Al, she couldn’t stop Miriam from dragging him away.

“I GOT IT!” Gumi shouted, diving forward and grabbing Kaito’s hands with one arm and a pillar with the other.

But all Gumi was accomplishing was slowing the inevitable – Len watched as Kaito’s body slowly began to disintegrate just as Miku’s had...

As Len stood powerless, watching Kaito trying to save himself and Luka fending off a seemingly unstoppable opponent, Len felt his emotions rise in his heart.  He _hated_ Kaito, how stupidly selfless he was, how he’d throw himself recklessly into trouble and how it seemed like everyone around him always had to pull him out of it…

… Len would do _anything_ to save him.

 

_“If you don't get me comfortable, then it's gonna have to hurt! Not me, though, this girl likes it rough!”_

As Gakupo swiped his talons at Sweet Ann, he failed to land a blow but knocked one of her ribbons off… revealing that her arm appeared to be sewn onto her torso.  Like a nightmarish singing doll.

_Harbinger.  Destroy your target._

He hated this woman and every time she spoke his hatred only increased. 

“If your wings are black like that, Al and I won’t match… oh, maybe we can get one white wing and one black one!  Splendid!”

Either she loved knowing how much she hurt people, or she was completely incapable of grasping how much she hurt people.  Neither option made her sympathetic to him.  He could carve her to pieces and be done with her evil… he could tear apart everything and everyone around him and nothing could stop him…

_Harbinger.  Rain down your destruction._

A twisted ballad emerged from his throat as black lightning began to explode throughout the room.  The doll woman leapt neatly through each strike, but several of them struck the computer hardware, creating a series of explosions…

… he heard Rin _scream_.

At once, Gakupo tried to reassert himself and drive back the melody controlling his heart.  He quickly scanned the room, trying to find Rin.  What was he _becoming?!_  “Rin-chan!  Are you safe?!”

“Y…yea I’m fine…”

Taking even a second to not focus on Sweet Ann led to him being hurled across the room and into some equipment.  Within seconds, Sweet Ann had cleared the space and rained blow after blow upon him.  He could taste the blood in his mouth as her assault quickened. 

_Harbinger.  Destroy your target._

Again he felt the melody beckoning him to release it once and for all.  Again he tried to fight back against it.  He knew what it was capable of forcing him to do.  He had to stay sane… because the “Harbinger” cared nothing for the life of “Rin-chan”…

 

Rin crawled out from the wreckage of several servers, no worse for wear.  But she could actually hear Sweet Ann’s savage beating well before she saw her.  Her heart beat quickened – she wanted so desperately to help him.  As he fell to the floor when she let up, she was certain Sweet Ann was about to deliver a killing blow.  _She had to do something_.

For just a moment she felt as though someone else’s heart was in perfect sync with her own.

 

Somewhere, Len felt as though another person was standing with him, feeling the same will to protect.  He was willing to try anything to stop Kaito from being destroyed.

He extended his hands.  ‘I’m crazy!  This is never going to work!’

But as he felt another heart beating in perfect sync with his own, he summoned the confidence that his mad plan would succeed…

 

‘Just like Gakupo showed me…’

 

‘Just like what Luka’s doing…’

 

Power welled up in her heart…

 

Another mind in unison with his own…

 

‘ _I’m going to save him!’_

 

One half of their hearts beat with the other, over which no distance could truly separate them.

 

“I won’t let you hurt Gaku-niichan!”

“I won’t let you hurt my friends!”

 

In two completely separated places, a shining golden shield of light enveloped a person in grave danger, two voices performing the same song.  Kaito was released from Miriam’s grasp as the light severed her arms, restoring his body as Gumi unintentionally yanked him on top of her with the sudden release of force.  Sweet Ann’s crushing kick sent her flying backwards as she’d not intended to have to break through something.

Neither twin held back.  They felt the power rushing through their bodies, of one person moving as the other did.  They extended their arms as though pulling an invisible bow string, releasing two bright gilded arrows.

Big Al and Sweet Ann never saw it coming, each one taking the full impact of the attack and being sent flying.

 

“Kaito!  You have to stop her, now!” Len shouted.

Kaito turned to do so but he became panicked as Miriam once more receded into the computer…

…only to be shoved back outside as the digitized form of a girl with two long, flowing pigtails gripped her tightly, refusing to allow her to leave.  “HoW!?   You arE… data! ScRAPs!”

“Promise…”

Miku’s voice sounded weak.  Wherever she was, whatever happened to her, she was using every ounce of strength to stand up to the creature that tried to dissolve her.  But… she was _safe_.  It was over.

Kaito finally safely managed to sing his ballad.  Within Miku’s arms, the familiar light swept of Miriam’s form.  For a moment, Kaito caught a glimpse of a woman with blond hair and green eyes.  “Seal of the Seruva…” she murmured, her voice clear and calm.

“What is the Seal?!” Kaito begged, “What am I?!”

“The Seal… is our sacrifice against oblivion…”

There were no more answers to be had from Miriam as her body broke apart. 

As she vanished, Kaito felt a wave of sickness flow through him, taking him by such surprise that he felt his legs buckle under him.

“Kaito…”

Miku lay near him, perfectly whole and reaching out to him.  Even though his vision blurred, he found the strength to move over to her and prop her up in his arms.  As the sickness passed, he could make out Miku’s pale face and wearily happy expression.

“We’re not letting you anywhere near Kaito!” Luka shouted, staring down Big Al.

“Yea!  If you know what’s good for you… you’ll back off!” Len shouted, the smaller boy having placed himself between the gigantic man and the rest of his friends.

“What they said, Big Jerk!” Gumi said, taking an odd fighting pose…

Kaito felt Miku grip his arms tightly.  “Is… is that…”

Reflexively, he pulled Miku close to him, trying to shield the dazed girl as he watched the giant man in deep contemplation.  “Hmph.  This is not going to do at all…” Big Al murmured, his eyes fixed solely on Len…

 

“What are you talking about?!” Rin shouted, holding her arms out between Sweet Ann and Gakupo.

Despite the fact Sweet Ann had just suffered a beating from both a trained Seruva warrior and Rin, she didn’t seem terribly concerned.  The ribbon along her neck had slipped, revealing stitches along her neck as well as her arms.

“Well I mean I can’t actually fight _you_.  You’re, well, _you._ ”

Rin gulped.  “Why?  What’s special about me?”

The stitched-up woman tapped a finger to her lips.  “Ah!  Classified! Well, nothing better to do than call this evening a wash…”

Sweet Ann snapped her fingers in disappointment.  “Cheerio then!”

“W…wait!” Rin shouted, but in a bolt, the blonde leapt through an exposed window, leaving Rin’s questions unanswered.

“R…Rin-chan…”

Gakupo still bore many of the features of a yokai, but his demeanor seemed calmer and his voice sounded more like his own.  “Gaku-niichan… are you going to be okay?” Rin asked, looking over his injuries.

Gakupo raised his weapon to steady himself.  “I can tend to my own wounds… worry not…” he assured her.

He appeared to be in deep concentration.  Slowly but surely, he began to change back to normal, his talons shrinking into fingers again, his ears flattening, the streaks on his face fading away.  Soon it was impossible to tell he’d ever become something so frightening.

Rin handed Gakupo her handkerchief – she felt silly not having anything else to give him, but she wanted some way to help him.  He took the cloth and wiped some of the blood from his face.  She could hear his second voice performing a ballad as his wounds closed up.  “Rin-chan… was this why you were afraid of me?”

“AHHHH!  You... you… noticed?!  ACK!  I mean, I mean, I mean…”

Rin began stammering as his pointed question caused her to grow nervous.  “Well… I mean, I didn’t know about the… tengu… thing,”

She stretched her hands up over her head.  “It’s cause…. you’re REALLY tall!  Like, a big tower!  And…”

Rin tried to mimic Gakupo’s typical facial expression.  “And you’re always staring at everyone like… you’re trying to read their SOULS!”

But she turned red and closed her eyes, lightly touching her cheeks with the tips of her fingers. “But… after we started singing together… I realized… being tall like that and looking through people… it’s how you protect them.  You can see any threat and strike first!  And… being around you… makes me feel safe.”

Gakupo looked at Rin in utter bafflement before he burst into uproarious laughter.  Rin found herself embarrassed at saying something silly and strange again, but at least she’d cheered him up.  Finally, the taller man stood up and gave her head a pat.  “That… is a very Rin-chan thing to say.”

 

Len and Rin followed Miku and Kaito back to the apartment building, under the pretext that he’d left some of things behind during their practice.  His mind was filled with questions, but he wasn’t sure he wanted the answers.  When the twins finally reunited, they were both surprised to learn they’d performed the same strange feat at once.  For all intents and purposes, somehow their souls had united as one to allow them to cast magic just as Kaito, Luka, and Gakupo could.

Naturally, this led to a long discussion over what any of this could mean… the twins were adopted, after all, so there was a chance that perhaps they’d been the biological children of a Severed Seruva.  But the longer discussions began to die down as neither of the twins seemed interested in trying to delve into their origins tonight.

And naturally… Miku knew exactly what to say.

_“It doesn’t matter what you guys are!  You’re Rin and Len, and you’re Vocaloids!  And now, you’re heroes too!”_

“Miku… I… gotta talk to you.  About something private.”

He glanced at Rin, whose face lit up with glee.  She skipped forward and grabbed Kaito’s hand.  “Kaito, I’ll make sure you get upstairs, okay?!” she said.

Before anyone could stop her, Rin had Kaito shoved into the elevator.  Given how much he’d overworked himself, Len wasn’t surprised he gave little protest.

As Miku’s eyes lingered on Kaito going up the elevator, Len felt a heaviness in his chest.  He thought back to the fight and how worried Kaito had been for her.  Of how Miku burst out of the computer to save his life.  Of how they’d held each other as though they depended on each other for strength.

The tealette turn to face Len and smiled.  “I think we’re alone now, Len,” Miku said, “What did you want to talk about?”

“Well… I mean first I wanted to apologize for being a jerk before…” Len said.

Miku blinked.  “Eh?  Did something happen?”

“You mean you don’t remember!?” Len shouted in disbelief.

Miku knocked on her head with her knuckles.  “Well… I actually don’t remember a lot about the last few hours…” she said, “I… I remember saving you… but I don’t remember much else.”

Suddenly she looked surprised. “AH!  We didn’t fight, did we?!” Miku asked, “Oh god, I’m sorry Len!  Whatever I did I…”

Len slapped his forehead.  For once, fate was cutting him a break.  “Look, don’t worry about it,” he said, “It was all my fault.  So… just forget about it.”

Miku released a huge sigh of relief.  “Well, I pretty much already have.  So, was that everything?”

“Miku, I’ve been wanting to tell you that I…”

Suddenly, Len felt his nerves vanish as he found it surprisingly easy to come to terms with something important.  _Why_ he hated Kaito… and why he’d fought tooth and nail to save that grinning blue-haired moron.

He gave Miku a sly grin.  “…so, all this air-headedness and stuff.  It’s because you’re into Kaito, isn’t it?”

The girl’s face turned bright red.  “W…w…w… where did THAT come from?!” she asked.

Len started laughing at her over the top reaction. “Oh now I KNOW it’s serious!” Len teased.

Miku looked nervously at the elevator as if she feared somehow Kaito could hear the conversation.  “Kaito’s… Kaito’s complicated… okay?” she confessed, “I… I really do care about him.  I do!  I just… with all these monsters and Heralds and stuff…. I don’t want to just drop something huge like this on him!”

“Didn’t exactly stop Luka and Gakupo, did it?” Len prodded.  Watching Miku get as embarrassed as a middle-schooler with a crush proved surprisingly entertaining.

“Ahhhh, but sempai’s always been cool about stuff like this!” Miku stammered.  She pressed her two index fingers together.  “And Gakupo’s… not that complicated.”

“A guy that turns into a tengu isn’t complicated?”

Miku twirled her head, her pigtails whipping around her body.  “Ah!  Len, why is any of this important to you anyway?!” she protested, “You’re sounding like Rin!”

Len shrugged his shoulders.  “Come on, you’ve been out of it during all your practices,” he said, “I got to thinking maybe there was another reason besides the usual.  You had me worried, okay?”

The elevator door opened and Rin stood behind Miku.  Her eyes went wide and she let the elevator doors shut again… though Len saw her jam her hand in the middle to keep them propped open _just_ enough….

“Okay… Okay, I really… I guess I… do… like Kaito.  A lot.   But don’t tell him, okay!”

Len made a motion over his mouth.  “My lips are sealed,” he said, “Look, practice is shot for tonight, but if you want to get an early start, we got one more day to work out this ‘Crybaby Boyfriend’ thing.”

His expression finally grew serious as he unloaded a little ‘adult wisdom’ onto his friend. “Hey.  Word of advice.  I get that you don’t know what to say to Kaito.  But… you shouldn’t wait too long.  You get to thinking you have all the time in the world and then… poof.  You lost your chance.”

Miku nodded.  “You’re right…” she said, “Okay… I’ll find a way to tell him.  Soon.”

She gave him a warm smile.  “I’m glad I have a brave hero like you as my friend, Len.”

Rin slowly walked out of the elevator door, her face crestfallen.  “OH!  Rin… you…” Miku said, sounding nervous.

“I just got here!  Kaito’s asleep already!” Rin lied.

As Miku entered the elevator and the doors closed behind her, Rin turned to Len.  “She turned you down?”

Len shrugged.  “Eh.  Wasn’t worth telling her, honestly.  She’s nuts about that blue-haired moron, so… better just cut my losses and make sure he doesn’t die on her.”

Len realized he should be angry or furious.  Disappointed.  Anything but… happy.

“I’m sorry the plan didn’t work…” Rin said, looking at her feet.

Len didn’t see it that way. Rin might be upset her grand “duet romance” scheme didn't work but…

“Thanks, Rin,” he said, “I feel better.  Loads better.”

He could finally let Miku go.

“Are you really going to be okay with this?” Rin asked as the two left the lobby, turning up their umbrellas to the rain.

“Are you nuts?  When we make it _big_ , I’m going to have SO many girls crawling over me, I’m not going to want to be tied down!”

Rin laughed at his display of confidence.  “Besides… you got another big brother out of this, so what are you whining about?!”

 

Miku entered the apartment quietly and spied Kaito on the couch.  He'd uncharacteristically thrown his jacket on the floor, but now he was fast asleep.  She tiptoed over to him, gathered his jacket, and folded it up and placed it on the table.

She sat down on the futon observing him.  His sleeping face betrayed his exhaustion.  Miku began to reflect on all the happy times they'd spent together.  How precious they felt now, always punctuated by danger.  She found herself grateful that she'd already forgotten what it felt like to be torn apart by Noise.  Her entire identity reduced to nothingness.

Miku brushed Kaito's bangs out of his eyes.  He always called her brave… but she didn't particularly feel brave.  True, she was holding up better than after what Yuma had done to her, but she knew she was brave because other people made her _want_ to be brave.

Just that sensation in the chaos of fragments of Kaito's consciousness mingling with hers allowed her to retain her identity.  His fear… and his refusal to let his fear dominate him.

Miku leaned back against the couch, watching the rainfall as it began to finally taper off.  Her heart beat quickened as she thought of how he'd held her in his arms while she fell apart to the strain of her own fears.  How wonderful it felt to emerge from the chaotic prison with him reaching out to protect _her_.

She leaned closer to him, and with only the sound of the rain drops to accompany her, Miku gently kissed the top of Kaito’s forehead.

 

Feeling Luka in his arms as he reclined on the couch gave Gakupo a much needed anchor. Not just the base sensation of a warm body with him… but the feeling of someone he could trust.  Someone that reminded him of what he was without the corruption consuming him.  Someone who could drive back the melody of destruction that beat within his heart.

Of course he knew how unbelievably quickly they’d become so intimate with each other.  In the past he'd moved so quickly to rid himself of feelings he couldn’t express to the person he truly loved.  Fleeting partnerships doomed to fail because of his insincerity.

But this time he concealed nothing.  He gave freely of himself to the person he desired.  He knew he didn’t deserve this.  He’d met Luka because he’d caused Kaito to come to harm.  The wretched melody twisting against him felt like his just punishment. 

Yet he wanted to pretend he deserved this kindness anyway, if only to try and be the person Luka needed him to be.

“Kaito… forgave me…” Luka finally said.

Gakupo laughed.  “Did I not tell you he’d understand your actions?”

“It felt… amazing… to finally have some part of him back again,” she said.  She rolled over on his chest, looking up into his face. “I don’t know what they did to him to make him forget me but… he’s starting to remember it.  He asked _me_.  He finally remembered… _me._ ”

The conversation quieted for a few moments before Luka broke the silence again.  “I’m glad you and Rin were able to get along so well…”

Gakupo chuckled.  “Rin-chan is a very unique person,”

Luka snuggled in closer to him.  “Gakupo… what made you think of that song anyway?  I know it has ceremonial significance but that’s not normally something you’re interested in…”

He ran a hand through Luka’s silky hair.  “It makes me nostalgic…” he said softly.

Luka crawled up his body and as her sky blue eyes met his own, he couldn’t help but draw her closer and kiss her…

 

_“Gakupo, hold still!  I need to finish brushing your hair!”_

_The boy twitched from having to stand in place so long.  First the elaborate costume, now the hair?  He just wanted to perform, why was it such an ordeal!?_

_His mother grabbed his long, messy locks and began running a comb through them.  “Can we at least practice while you do this?”_

_His mother’s laugh always reminded him of chimes in the wind.  “Of course.”_

_Soon mother and son began singing the ballad they were scheduled to perform in mere hours…_

_“We were laughing together by the window casting shadows, weren't we?”_

_“Ah, your hair came loose and it's fluttering and swaying in the wind…”_

_As his mother’s rounded stomach pressed against his back, he thought of the sister she was due to give birth to soon.  What kind of brother would he be to her?  He could barely wait to teach her to fly, to show her his favorite perches, to sword fight with her, to sing with her…_

_If nothing else, he wanted a sister that shared his love of performing.  Even if he became a solider someday, he’d gladly teach her this song and they’d stand together in front of everyone… her proud big brother…_

_“We're sitting shoulder to shoulder and getting warmed. I want to share the time like this with you, forever and ever.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I just killed a baby via flashback. MUAHAHAHA!  
> Phew, finally, all those hints I kept dropping about the Kagamines are starting to pay off. Of course by now it should be obvious the situation in Tsubasa City is escalating and several cast members personal demons are about to overtake them. If you thought this chapter could be tense… yea, welcome to the second half of Broken Wings.  
> Song Credits: This turned into the great Engloid chapter, didn’t it? Miriam sang lyrics from the ethereal “[Secret Space](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rw6mJZ_RS0)” by Puffhin. Both Sweet Ann’s “[Succubus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuMIj_I5ofI)” and Big Al’s “[Breaking Point](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Z2RwobRWU0)” cover come from Koda-P. And the title is of course a reference to the song of the same name. I could NOT resist using it given the theme!  
> Meanwhile, Luka’s ringtone is "[Flightless Bird](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j9YNUsBgDE)" (WAY TO KEEP A SECRET, LUKA.)


	11. Devoured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The specter of loss hangs over Kaito as he begins to fear his actions in saving the Heralds may cost him his life. Meanwhile, Gakupo grapples with the corruption slowly overtaking him, calling him the "Harbinger" and threatening to make him destroy everything he loves. And Miku just wants to finish a song and tell a certain boy how much she loves him… But the comfortable existence of the Vocaloids is about to end as a truly dangerous battle awaits them.

"I won’t let you hurt Gaku-niichan!" "I won’t let you hurt my friends!"

Oliver stared at the security footage from the two sites in utter shock.  He had two separate videos up, one displaying closed circuit security rips from the school, the other some higher quality footage he had been sure to set up ahead of time.  And he observed as his two dear siblings simultaneously cast song magic against Big Al and Sweet Ann.

‘They finally did it… they’ve finally achieved what they were created to achieve…’

He gripped a hand to his heart and tried to contain a fit of coughing.

"Ollie dear, haven’t they repaired your heart yet?" Sweet Ann said, tying a new ribbon around the stitching on her neck.

Oliver carefully adjusted the bandages around his head as the coughing died down, trying to conceal his bad eye.  "I’m… on the agenda…" he said weakly, trying to project strength.

"Well it was just a _bit_ of a hindrance this time," Big Al said, "You’ve always been so strict about not touching the Kagamines… buuut it’s going to be a lot harder if they’re going to attack _us_."

The blonde child racked his brain, trying to come up with a solution that matched his principles while preserving all three of their lives.  The Hearts would want _answers_ this time – he was supposed to stop the latest experiment from being interfered with.  He needed to offer up a reason why he’d failed, but… he couldn’t betray his own siblings. But if he didn’t work with them… it wouldn’t just be his life in jeopardy.

Oliver only kept living because the two mad killing machines in his office responded to his voice alone.

 _They_ lived because they were two unstoppable killing machines who obeyed orders relayed to them by the eternally youthful son of Leon and Lola Heart.

He stared at the footage and saw only one solution.  He would need to offer up someone _else_.  Someone with more potential and ability.  His eyes rested on the man with blue hair.  Ever since he’d arrived, Tsubasa City had seemingly gone mad.  Their Noise Generation Modules hadn’t begun altering reality until _he_ had broken free.

They’d only intended to study the effects of Dark Notes on humans, not summon _monsters_.  It wasn’t until the assault on the park they began to review the footage and recognized these self-proclaimed "Heralds" were not merely saboteurs. Naturally, to his bosses, a dangerous creature that dissolved people into nothingness needed to be captured.  The Seruva hadn’t exactly ignored their last incursions into their territory… and events like the existence of the Heralds only fueled the Hearts’ obsession with prophecies of "The End" at the hands of the mysterious bird race.

Oliver couldn’t guarantee a Herald when they couldn't reliably predict their patterns and points of emergence.  He _could_ … guarantee _him._

"Let medical patch you up.  I’ll handle the fallout this time.  I need to make some equipment requisitions before your next big mission."

"Ollie… you didn’t answer his question…" Sweet Ann nudged.

Oliver let out a sigh.  "I’ll have a new strategy for how to handle them the next time… I can probably requisition some of the anti-Seruva tech chem’s been working on if I word it right."

s the duo bowed and departed, Oliver felt guilt weigh down his conscience.  This man had done nothing wrong.  He had suffered, time and again, by the actions Oliver had taken to ensure the safety of his employer.  And now, he would suffer again… as a sacrifice to save the two people Oliver loved most in the world.

 

_Kaito felt the scraping, scratching, clawing, banging force around him, ever growing closer.  He wanted to run, but he couldn’t – it was everywhere.  It surrounded him in a perfect ring, closing in around him.  His destruction was inescapable.  No matter how strong he was, he was nothing before it.  He cried out, demanding its intentions, but he had no voice that could outmatch the perpetual deafening sound.  He felt his body torn apart, scattered into nothingness, everything he ever was and would be devoured within it._

Kaito sprang awake.  For a few minutes, he felt disoriented before he realized he was still on Miku's futon.  "It's okay.  You're safe."

Kaito let out a soft sigh. "I didn't wish to wake you Mi-"

He stopped talking when he saw Miku asleep on the foot of the couch.  Jerking his head towards the direction of the voice, his jaw dropped as he lay eyes on the familiar form of Haku.  Her wings were still pure white, her white robes appropriate to Seruva work clothes.

Kaito quickly realized from her peaceful smile that she wasn't a Herald… but a spirit.

"Your time is almost up.  You sacrificed it… for us."

Before Kaito could speak again, Haku had vanished, leaving the former Spirit Caller once more with questions and no answers.

"Kaito… *snore*… I'll protect you… Zzzzz…"

 

Gathered around the Kagamine town house today were all six of the Vocaloids… plus a new "conspirator" they’d just played catch up with.  Rin had insisted on sitting next to Kaito and Gakupo, so the three of them were squeezed onto the couch.  The rest of the group was scattered around the living room wherever there was a spare seat.  Save Gumi, the team wore their Vocaloid clothes as they’d gathered after practice.  The afternoon session provided some much needed stress relief before the hard-headed blogger started pumping them for harder questions.

Gumi counted on her fingers. "Three of you are birds, one of you turns into a tengu, two of you cast magic, and one of you is… some boring person that found all these people."

Miku laughed half-heartedly.  "It’s not _impossible_ …" she muttered.

Just having her one-time nemesis in the room with her was nerve-wracking enough.  But after their fight with Miriam, they didn’t have much choice.  At least for the time being, Gumi chose to stay quiet for safety’s sake – after seeing Big Sweet tear up two buildings trying to get at them, she acknowledged the need for discretion.

"So… you were kidnapped by humans." she said, pointing a finger at Kaito.

He nodded nervously.  "So… how? I mean, you guys obviously aren’t weak."

"They simply overwhelmed me," Kaito explained, "They had all kinds of weapons.  I fought my hardest, but… eventually they rendered me unconscious and…"

Miku hated seeing Kaito tense up and try to be strong as he remembered his horrifying experience. She wished to spare him ever reliving it again. But now that they knew for certain another force was pursuing the Heralds, anything Kaito remembered could be a valuable clue. 

"In the lab… they fitted me with this collar that shocked me when I sang unauthorized. I… couldn’t even start a ballad wearing it without getting stunned…"

He rubbed his neck.  "I only escaped because they needed to remote it when they ran certain experiments… I took a chance and attacked them on the way out… I… I didn’t get far before they shot me out of the sky… those monsters caught up to me and…"

Imagining him living like a tortured animal… Miku’s blood ran with fury.  If she ever found the person who’d done it to him…

"What kind of stuff did they have you do?" Gumi pressed.

"Mostly singing ballads," Kaito continued, "Occasionally they’d just interrogate me as to the nature of my society."

He shook his head.  "I don’t think they knew I was a Spirit Caller though… they never once asked about the world beyond the veil…"

Gumi took some notes.  "Sounds about right… Big Sweet didn’t seem to be chasing after you either.  Probably just thought you were dead and ‘salvaged’ you."

"G…GUMI!" Miku blurted out, "Do you have any sense of delicacy!?"

Apparently not because she just kept talking.  "Sometimes Mirror seems to have em’ run around and grab ‘parts’ off of corpses.  There’s not a lot of people that willingly donate their bodies to science so… I don’t think Big Sweet bump em’ off, but they probably found you and…"

"So that explains Sweet Ann’s eagerness to kill me and make off with _my_ wings…" Gakupo noted darkly.

"…they called me ‘scrap’…" Kaito whispered.

The room fell silent for several minutes save for Gumi’s typing. 

"Shortstuff.  Creampuff."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Len shouted.

When Gumi’s expression didn’t shift, Miku suspected Len was stuck with his nickname for life.

"So come on, you gotta know _something!_   The only people around here with that kind of tech is Mirror and…"

The twins fidgeted on the couch.  "If they are involved," Len continued, "They didn’t want us to know anything."

He put a hand to his chin.  "Still… they used to do all those crazy recording sessions with me, Rin, and Oliver…"

"Oh right, the dead kid."

Rin looked about ready to cry at that.  "Gumi!  That boy is their _brother,_ " Gakupo scolded.

Gakupo’s words seemed to finally encourage Gumi to use a little more tact.  "Can you tell me about those?"

"We’d just… sing for hours…." Len said "We never knew why… they said it was because we were so talented but… none of it makes sense…"

"So… they were experimenting on you."

The room fell quiet again.  Apparently only Gumi had the lack of grace to say what everyone was thinking.  Rin had her hand gripped tightly around Gakupo’s.  "I couldn’t cast balalds by myself but… I wanted to save Gaku-niichan so bad last night.  It felt like someone was standing right beside me!"

"Me too…" Len added, "I just had to try anything… I guess… I felt Rin trying to cast the same spell at the same time…"

"Harmony…" Kaito said.

"I’ve never heard of it working like that before…" Luka said.

"But it’s the same concept," Kaito continued, "They don’t seem to have second voices… but when they were perfectly attuned to each other, they used their normal voices to cast spells just like a Seruva."

"I owe my life to Rin-chan," Gakupo added, causing the small girl to smile.

"Ummm… ummmm…" Rin began to say, "If Len and I can do stuff like that… can you guys teach us how to use magic?"

"Hey!  Why not?!" Miku jumped in, grateful to move the conversation to something more pleasant, "Maybe when Gakupo is teaching me sword fighting, Kaito and Luka can give you two some magic lessons!"

The idea lit Luka’s face with elation.  "How exciting… I never thought I’d be able to share something like this with any of you!"

Kaito smiled brightly.  "I’m sure between the two of us we can do that!"

"AND!  We can do it AFTER Vocaloid practices!" Miku appended.

Gumi nearly tumbled off the couch in surprise.  "Are you guys crazy?! It’s the end of the world out there and you’re just gonna sing songs?!"

Miku stood up from her chair, her fists pumped up.  "It’s not just singing songs!" she said, "Being close like this is helping us fight!  So we can’t stop being Vocaloids or we’ll lose our team Harmony!"

Miku blushed when she thought she heard Kaito chuckling. Gumi looked perturbed.  "Okay fine, crazy people," she said, "I’m just gonna… keep scouting leads then.  And maybe…"

She pulled out the scraps of the last Noise Generator that Rin had smashed.  "…try and tear this thing up and find out how it worked!"

Gumi’s wild laughter started to creep Miku out…

 

"AHHHH! Sempai, these designs are so PRETTY!"

Kaito sat on the amphitheater benches next to Len.  "Right, I was thinking we could have the three of them doing a visual kei throwback…" she explained to an eager Rin and Miku as they sat further away, gathered around dozens of sketches she’d laid out on the pavement, "They’ll all be wearing outfits based on kimonos and samurai…"

"Ah! With all those cherry blossoms, Len’s going to be so pretty…"

Kaito glanced over to a grumbling Len. "No, they’re not going to ask for our input," the boy said gruffly, "And no, this isn’t the first time sempai’s tried to put me in a dress."

"It’s not uncommon for Seruva pageants," Kaito explained, "Gakupo once told me he used to play men _and_ women when he was a child."

Kaito glanced further away to see Gakupo hard at work practicing his swordplay, every bit the "Dancing Samurai" in his costume as he mimed defeating another imaginary foe.  A small crowd of children stood near him, cheering his every move.  "Yea!  Go Mr. Samurai, kick his butt!" one of them shouted out.

Kaito began to tense up as he saw another person next to Gakupo.  A man with pink hair in traditional Seruva warrior’s robes, much like Gakupo’s.  He lazily twirled a sword in one hand and gave Kaito a cocky smirk.  "No wonder I lost to him… he just doesn’t quit, does he?"

Yuma was _right there_ … but nobody else seemed to acknowledge him. 

Feeling nauseous, Kaito stood and began walking off.  "Hey, Kaito!  You okay?"

"I… I'm going to take… a walk..."

He looked at the three women, all utterly engrossed in their grand plans.  "They don’t need our input, right?"

"Well… well yea," Len said, notes of doubt hanging in his voice.

As Kaito walked off alone, he heard Len hop up and chase after him.  "I didn’t say I wasn’t coming!"

If he’d thought he’d get to be alone, the sounds of disappointed children and a sword being sheathed indicated Kaito would be getting some more company.  Indeed, within moments, Gakupo caught up to the two of them.  "Strategizing for our next mission?" he remarked.

Len groaned.  "Come off it, Gakupo, it’s not always about fighting!"

Kaito had to smile in spite of himself – at least his friends would never leave him to his worries alone.  He considered telling them the truth of his circumstances but his mind continued to linger on a certain event.

His mother’s death.

Her spiral into a horrible demise began first with fainting spells after vigils.  Followed by hallucinations.  Two symptoms Kaito found eerily familiar to his own. As her condition worsened, she became bedridden with seizures, sometimes interrupted by fitful sleep.  Her speech patterns broke up, sometimes leading her to speak utter nonsense and chaotic sounds.

And his mother’s condition had no cure.

Kaito had planned to spend a long life amongst humanity.  Helping Miku and her friends achieve their dream of being Vocaloids.  But if he was experiencing the earliest symptoms…

"Kaito, are you suffering an affliction?" Gakupo asked, "You appear pale…"

… if there was no cure… there was no point in telling them.  And if he was wrong… if he wasn’t dying at all… then they’d be happy, right?

"I’ve just been thinking about the Heralds…"

"Aw, don’t worry!" Len said, "We’re practically an ARMY now!"

Ever since Kaito had begun tutoring Len, the boy's demeanor around him seemed far more at ease.  He seemed as though he'd recently divested himself of a great burden. A strong contrast to Gakupo, whose light tone barely masked how heavy his own burdens became.  "Gakupo, how are _you_ holding up?" Kaito asked him.

At that Gakupo tried to play off his comment.  "It’s not different than yesterday…" he said, "After last night, I’m starting to think it won’t be a problem at all!"

He was lying for the benefit of the others.  In private, the warrior already confessed to Kaito that he’d been hearing the dissonant melody nearly constantly.  Performing his ballad for him no longer appeared to interrupt it either.

"After all, I did manage to drive it back on my own this time…" Gakupo continued, "Perhaps I’m in control of it now."

"Good!" Len said, "Rin was really worried about you after that fight with Sweet Ann…"

The boy shuddered.  "I can’t imagine what it would be like to fight those two freaks at the same time," he continued, "If I see either one of em’ again… well, I’m just going to blast em’ right there!"

Len made the motion of firing off an arrow and Kaito found himself smiling.  "Hmph… wonder if our folks knew all along?" he muttered, "It never made sense that they adopted two more kids they didn’t want anything to do with.  Maybe we were just tools to them..."

"Well you’re not ‘tools’ to me!" Kaito said.

He felt his emotions rising.  He wanted to say this now.  While he had time.  "I’m grateful… that when I became Val’Sharess… that you, Rin, Luka, and Miku all took care of me.  Being a Vocaloid… is the happiest thing that’s ever happened to me."

Len looked surprised at his outburst, but he smiled at Kaito.  "Don't worry, big guy, I’m not going to start slacking like _someone_ does!"

Kaito tried to brush off Gakupo’s inquisitive stare…

 

_"Words you want to tell… sounds you want to give!  Links of feelings form a world, connecting everything… connecting to everywhere…"_

Miku bowed to Kaito on the couch as he clapped for her.  "Miku, that was beautiful!"

She blushed at his compliments.  Finally… she’d finished it.  Her very first song… and Kaito had offered to be her test audience. "It’s… it’s just the kind of song you’d write!"

Miku shot him a perplexed look.  "What does _that_ mean?!"

"Oh… well…."

Kaito looked nervous for a moment as he tried to collect himself.  Miku quietly inspected him – he’d seemed so much more tired ever since the fight with Miriam… and now he seemed to pay her a great deal more attention.  Not that Miku was complaining about the latter, but she’d begun to worry over his health.  Sure he was far more busy now that he'd begun teaching Len and Rin magic as well as Vocaloids training but that didn't seem to completely explain his sudden bouts of fatigue.

Kaito stood up and started to walk towards the patio, his eyes on the night sky.  "It’s just, that’s the kind of person you are Miku.  You’re fearless when you meet new people… you always try to find a way to reach out to them."

Miku blushed at his suddenly serious tone.

"Vocaloids is about the connections we’ve all made to each other… So it just makes sense that when you’d finally write your own song… you’d want it to be about harmony.  The way people join as one."

Kaito looked to Miku with a beautiful smile.  She thought for just a moment she detected sadness behind his gaze… but she only saw him for how handsome he was.  His kind and thoughtful heart illuminating his every feature.

Kaito seemed to finally realize how much he’d rambled as he put a hand to his mouth in embarrassment.  Miku gave him a reassuring wink.  "Maybe I’ll ask everyone tomorrow if they want this to be our theme song!" she said.

She pulled out her phone.  "So Kaito… I… I’ve been wanting to ask you something…"

A rare sensation of anxiety ran through her body as she looked up at Kaito. "When we all sang duets, you kept helping me practice," Miku said.

She started scrolling through her song list.  "I bet we could surprise everyone if we learned this duet before classes start on Monday!"

Kaito breathed a sigh of relief.  "Miku… I’d love to sing with you."

"Great!  It’s an old song from the 90s about a forbidden romance and…"

She pressed play on the phone and the familiar notes started up.

_"Don't make my love like that of the tragic Juliet, take me out of here…"_

 

Kaito took a seat on the futon again, listening to the song as the lyrics quickly arranged themselves in his mind.  The melody was one of hope and sorrow…

_"I shyly cross my bare legs, how far can we go tonight?"_

…and also… erotic?! Miku wanted him to sing like _this_ to her?

The more she sang, performing her well-rehearsed dance, the more Kaito wished he could be the man in the song, assuring her their tainted love was pure.  The more he realized he wanted her… not just her company, but something deeper.

Kaito’s heart pounded as that base thought slipped through his head.  How could he ask for something like that if he thought he was _dying?!_

_"It seems that the lying Cinderella was eaten by a wolf… What should I do? At this rate, I too will end up being eaten one day… Please come and save me before that happens!"_

As Miku finished, Kaito mentally ran through the lyrics in his head.  "So?  You wanna give it a try?"

What a wonderful final experience with her… "I’d like to… it just needs some changes for a partner."

Miku bounced onto the couch with him.  "Like what?" she asked.

He grabbed Miku’s notepad and looked at her phone that displayed the lyrics.  "Well right here, she’s asking to be taken away… so what if instead he made her a proposal there instead?"

He replicated the melody.  _"Then let us be off!"_

He extended his hand towards Miku to make his point, as though begging her to follow him to some faraway place.  "He asks her to trust him…"

As the night progressed, Kaito and Miku poured through "Romeo and Cinderella."  Kaito became caught up in the indecision and sorrow of the girl who so desperately loved someone she could not have.  Miku explained the symbolism of the unfamiliar stories to him, and he threw himself into the idea of performing the part of a truly selfish "Romeo…" A man who begged for his Juliet to join him in tragedy.  Who swore to save her in spite of the doom he represented.

When they sang their new ballad for the first time, both of the participants were exhausted.  But Kaito performed with every last bit of energy he had, and in spite of his weariness, the sensation of his voice mingling with Miku's lifted his tired soul.  Miku seemed to hesitate a moment before heading off to her room.  As Kaito watched the door close, he tried to preserve the happy feelings from the performance.  He turned towards the kitchen when he stopped cold.

Mizki sat at the kitchen table, wearing pink priestess robes and folding a paper crane.  Upon being noticed, she looked up to Kaito and beamed with happiness.  "If I fold a thousand of these, my wish comes true!"

To Kaito, he saw the kitchen suddenly filled with cranes, on the floors, the counters, pouring out of the cabinets and even floating in the sink.

"I’ll fold these quickly… so you can be with her forever!"

And then the kitchen was bare, not a trace remaining of Mizki and her origami.

 

_In the haze, he saw a form in silhouette, barking orders at him. "Find Kaito.  Kill all who interfere."_

_The form remained to hazy to identify.  It was irrelevant – his commands bound his actions.  As he faced assault from three hostile figures, he cut them down one by one without remorse.  As their blood pooled at his feet, he launched himself into the sky, seeking his prey._

_"Harbinger. Make the world tremble."_

_All the world before him was nothing.  He was the arbiter of its destruction, and he would tear apart anything that stood in his way.  The banging, static, twisting discord was his master, and he merely its instrument._

_"Harbinger.  You are nothing."_

_Finally he saw his target… and his sole remaining obstacle.  He quickly tore the pink haired woman apart as though she were nothing…_

Gakupo bolted awake at the climax of the nightmare.  He quickly searched the bed for Luka… who was alive, safe, and now also awake and staring at him with worry.  He placed his hands around her, just trying to confirm to himself she was still living and still the woman he loved.

Luka sensed his fear and drew him close.  "I… I can still hear it…" Gakupo confessed, his voice shaking, "The discord… it’s never gone..."

No matter how many times Kaito tried to purify him, the Noise in his heart refused to retreat for good.  The nightmare… how close it felt to his greatest fear…

"I don't deserve you… this happiness is paid for by the suffering of others."

He loathed telling her… But he had to release his heart somehow.  "I tried to save Kaito from them… But I… I caused all of this instead, somehow... I fear this curse to be my punishment, to force me to destroy all that I love…"

If only he still had his memory of how he'd come to such a lamentable state…

"You would never strike the person you love…" Luka whispered, "I trust you... and I love you.  Always.  My warrior."

As she pressed her soft, barely clothed body against his, he surrendered to her entirely.  He hoped he could erase the guilt as he ran his hands under her silky nightgown, caressing her supple curves as he lifted the garment over her shoulders…

_You are guilty._

He failed.

 

As Miku finally finished her first performance of "Tell Your World" for her friends, she waited with her nerves alight, looking to each critical face for a response.

"Well, Miku… for a first effort I’d say…"

Len seemed to be deliberately holding out on his verdict…

"Miku that was so awesome!  That’s a GREAT theme song for us!"

… as Rin blew the secret.  "Uh… yea, I was going to say, you did great."

Miku puffed up with pride.  "I just thought about how close we all are now… and it just flowed right from my pen!"

 _"Nodes of feelings form a link, reaching over the faraway distance_ …" Luka sang.  She held her hands over her heart, "It’s the perfect song for Vocaloids."

_"On the rhythm my fingertips suddenly make, spread all words of the heart into the sky…"_

Now even Gakupo sang a few lyrics.  "If I didn’t know better, you’d have written a song about Harmony itself!"

_"The sounds I believe in even for a second, shift my sceneries! Tell your world!"_

The twins sang in their ever perfect synchronicity.  Miku felt so accomplished – everyone loved it!  She looked over to Kaito, the only one not singing, and recalled his kind words as he watched her with a soft smile.  She never would have had the confidence to finish her song and perform it without him.

 

As the Vocaloids began to go their separate ways, Kaito felt a tug on his jacket.  "Hey… Kaito!  Why don’t we try our duet choreography now?  There’s more space!"

Kaito looked around him, watching his friends leave.  "Are you sure you want to chance spoiling the surprise?"

Miku seemed far too worked up from her last performance to care.  "Come on… we only have a week until school starts!  We need to take every chance we get!"

"I never had the chance to confess to the woman _I_ loved… and you're almost out of time."

Miriam stood behind Miku, her true form a woman with long, ashen blonde hair and sorrowful green eyes.  She wore the white and green ceremonial robes of a pageant performer.  Kaito tried not to make any indication to Miku that a ghost stood behind her. "Miku… I’d love to."

The two paced away from each other.  Miku stood facing the bleachers as though an audience stood before her.  She set her phone on her belt and pressed play on the song – she’d downloaded an instrumental only version so they could sing without distraction.

_"Don't let my romance become Juliet in a tragedy… Take me away from here…"_

_"Then let us be off!"_

 

"Gaku-niichan!"

Gakupo tried to ignore the dissonant melody as he turned to see Rin and Len chasing after him and Luka.  He forced a broad smile.  "Rin-chan, what’s the matter?"

Rin fidgeted, looking from side to side.  "It’s… it’s about Kaito-niisan…"

Len had a serious look in his eyes.  "Come on, you’ve noticed how strange he’s acting, right?!" he said, "And he really doesn’t look well!"

"Kaito-niisan always trusted you with everything, right?" Rin said, "So… maybe he told you?"

_You cannot be trusted._

Gakupo didn’t want to confess that fighting off his own corruption had left him somewhat blinded to Kaito in the days since fighting Miriam.  But on hearing the twin's worried notes, he mentally re-examined Kaito’s behavior during the last few practices.  Kaito often seemed distracted as if though he bore witness to something only he could see.  While his melody remained cheerful, occasionally notes of despair slipped through when he addressed those closest to him…

_He is a liar._

As Gakupo locked eyes with Luka, he realized she’d started to think through everything Kaito had said to them in the last few days…

 

_"I've been longing just like Cinderella, I'll run away with nothing but my uniform! May the magic stop the time before the villains bother us!"_

Miku faced away from Kaito.  He danced lightly to her side, embracing her as possessively as the selfish Romeo.  " _The Runaway Juliet… but you don’t like that name, do you? True, you are linked together, but it won’t be as fun if it isn’t that way…"_

_"Now, why don’t we have some fun?”_

Kaito was supposed to let go of Miku as the instrumental played… the two would dance apart, never looking at other, revealing Juliet’s lack of will and Romeo’s dangerous passion…

But Kaito didn’t let go of Miku. 

She looked up to him, her eyes filled with curiosity…

 

"Kaito… he was going on about how happy he was to be a Vocaloid…" Len said.

Now it was Gakupo’s turn to reflect as well.  "This morning… he was telling me how grateful he was to have a loyal friend for so long…"

"Right, and he told me he was fortunate to have had time to spend with his oldest friend too…" Luka reflected.

"…and he told me yesterday he wanted his little sister to grow up brave and beautiful…" Rin said, running her toe along the sidewalk.

It was almost as if… Kaito was saying _goodbye_.

 

Kaito felt no better than his selfish Romeo.  Loving Miku when he was doomed to die, yet desiring as much of her as he could get before death claimed him…

Kaito drew Miku's body closer to him.  He stared at her delicate, enticing lips, and he gave in to his temptation as he tenderly kissed the only person he'd ever loved…

For a moment he feared his impulsiveness… then Miku wrapped her arms around him and pulled him closer, pressing herself against him with even more force and running her fingers through his hair as the music played over their passionate expression of love…

Kaito had worried how to tell Miku about his feelings but… right now neither needed _words_ to express themselves.

All of a sudden, a screeching noise filled the air, like a high-pitched pulsing whine. Kaito and Miku split apart as a suffocating force tried to choke out all the loving feelings he'd just experienced…

 

Gakupo collapsed to the ground the moment he heard the Dark Notes shrill spread around him.  So many melodies all grasping at him at once, trying to tear out his own.  "No!  I can’t… I can’t let it take me!"

_Harbinger.  It beckons._

"Gakupo, it's okay!  I'm here!"

Luka grabbed him, trying to calm him but he realized somehow one of the waves came from _her…_

Rin and Len began to collapse to the ground, holding their ears.  "Ga…Gaku-niichan!  What’s happening!?"

Whatever was affecting him was affecting _everyone_.  Shrill painful notes disabling the body and mind… he tried to make out the emotions they compelled him to feel but his own private melody blocked out anything else…

_Harbinger. Drive this earth to ruin._

 

Kaito darted his head around Miku, trying to locate the source of overwhelming agony.  He quickly deduced not a single source… but _dozens_ of them.  With one _extremely_ near…

He wrenched Miku’s phone from her belt and a wave of hatred washed over him.  Why did he have to die now?!  Why did he have to be the Spirit Caller and give up everything he loved for them?!

"Kaito, what’s going on?!" Miku shouted, clutching her body tightly, "What's… what's happening to me?!"

He tried to banish the hateful feelings from his heart and cast his ballad upon the phone.  Almost immediately the flow of Dark Notes began to fade and he felt release.  "It was in my phone?!" Miku said in shock.

He heard the buzzing of a scooter close by as Gumi rocketed into the amphitheater. "Hey!  HEYYYYY!"

She hopped off the bike like a woman on a mission, holding a strange device that looked like… she’d torn apart the remains of the Noise Generator Rin had given her and wired it to a tablet computer?!

"Phew, I’m lucky I found you guys were here! I couldn't call, all kinds of bad juju started coming out of my phone!"

‘Bad… juju?’ Kaito thought.

"Gumi, what’s going on?!  Why are the phones spitting out Dark Notes?!" Miku asked.

Gumi held up her scrapped-together table, facing the screen towards them.  Kaito could make out a map with dozens of black dots on it… as well as one thick pulsating dot a few kilometers away.  "I was able to reverse engineer that Noise thingy into a Noise detector!" she said, tapping her finger on the screen, "The Noise is coming from a cell tower!"

Before Kaito asked, Miku explained the unfamiliar technology to him.  "Cell phone towers receive and transmit signals through the air to all of our phones," Miku said, "So… if a Herald suddenly controlled all those signals…"

"… they could turn them _all_ into Noise Generators!"

His elation at his understanding faded when he saw the spirits of the last four Heralds gathered behind Miku and Gumi.  His blood froze as he interpreted their solemn gazes.

When he freed this Herald… he would die.

He looked to Miku and he wished he’d had more time…

 

Luka laid upon the pavement, too weak to stand as hatred overwhelmed her heart. She cursed being cast to Earth and forgotten… she loathed her own weakness as she watched Gakupo, still standing but clutching at his head, his teeth gritted as he struggled in vain to fend off the evil spreading inside of him.

She heard Kaito’s ballad wash through the air around her, emptying her heart.  She rose to her feet, free of the Dark Notes once more.

"Kaito-niisan!" Rin shouted as she bounced to her feet, "You’re okay!"

Kaito and Miku were crunched up on Gumi's scooter.  "The Herald’s at a cell tower nearby!" Miku shouted, "Kaito and I will meet you there!"

Gakupo’s wings once more appeared white, his determined expression cloaking the private battle she knew he still endured. "Nonsense!" he said, grasping Luka tightly, "We’ll follow you over!"

"Hey!  What about US!?" Len protested.

"Len!  We can take these scooters!  These people don’t need them!" Rin shouted.

"Um… isn’t that… stealing?" Len said nervously.

"They’ll understand if we’re saving the world!" Rin said, her hands on her hips.

Gakupo leaned in to Luka with a cocky smirk as they took to the sky. "And you thought I'd never have to fight in this samurai costume…"

At least his _awful_ timing was still with him.

 

The group converged at the site of a tall latticed cell antenna.  As expected, there at the base stood a person with black wings… this one a woman wearing an outfit very similar to Miku’s, only darker shades of grey and outlined in shades of yellow instead of turquoise.  Her long blond hair hung from the side of her head in a ponytail.

At their approach, Kaito saw her face fill with rage.  "I am Neru, the Herald of Noise!  This shrine is MINE!"

She extended her hands above her head and waves of shrill sounds blasted through the air.  Kaito grabbed Miku and leapt from Gumi’s scooter with her held tightly in his arms.  The two landed safely.

Before she could set up another blast, a wave of sound fired off from the sky as Gakupo dove through the air, Luka still in his grasp.  As he released her, the woman rolled in the grass, firing arrows at the Herald as she came to a stop.  As Neru blocked each one, she found herself fending off Gakupo's sword swipes next, keeping her attention to the warrior.

"Come on Rin, let’s show our stuff!" Len crowed.

"Kaito-niisan, Sempai, watch this!"

The twins locked hands and extended their arms out.  Kaito heard their voices ring out in unison in a zig zagging melody, creating a massive explosion of electricity.  The Herald shrieked with rage as she slipped through the bolts.

"The Generator is over there…" Kaito said, addressing Miku and pointing to a black box wired to the bottom of the metal tower.

He hoped he was controlling his voice.  He feared what was going to happen when he banished the Herald.  Why did he have so little time?  Just one more embrace, one more kiss…

He glanced to Neru and noticed between Gakupo, Luka, and the Twins, she was being utterly trounced.  For all the danger she represented in her infestation of the cellular signal, as a Herald, she seemed weak.  ‘Maybe… she was only just born?’ Kaito thought to himself.

He and Miku rushed to the box.  "Ha!  I love chopping these stupid things to bits!" she crowed.

"HEY!  Miku, try to go easy on it!" Gumi shouted, "I want to study another one!"

Miku grunted in annoyance as she swung her sword.

In moments, the air cleared of Dark Notes.  Neru let out a shout as her power source vanished.  She was not helpless… but she also wouldn’t be able to fight back.

"It’s not too late to change your mind…" Haku begged.

"You can just grab your girl… and go…" Yuma whispered.

"I’ve still got 200 more cranes to make!  Can’t you wait?!" Mizki pleaded.

"Why must you give so much of yourself? Because they forced you to?" Miriam chided.

Four voices Miku couldn’t even acknowledge.  Tears began to run from Kaito’s eyes as he turned to the woman he loved.  She looked surprised to see him like this.  "Kaito… what’s wrong?" she asked, her voice filled with frightened notes.

"Miku… I love you."

He turned to Neru and began to channel his ballad.  He knew not why this would kill him… he knew nothing of his fate… but he would never ask humans to die for him… if giving his life saved humanity, then his brief existence meant something after all…

…he felt a stinging sensation at the back of his neck.  He tried to ignore it until he began to cough.  His throat suddenly seized up and his song ceased immediately.  Kaito grasped at his throat and tried to speak… but no sound emerged.

…his vocal chords were frozen.

 

Miku heard Kaito’s song cease as he grasped at his throat.  She rushed to his side.  "Kaito?!  Are you okay?!"

Miku looked to Kaito and saw a dart on the back of his neck… she pulled it out as he struggled to breathe.  He looked to her in utter terror, patting his throat.  Finally Miku understood.  "Kaito… just get out of here!" Miku shouted, "I’ll keep you safe!"

_"What resounding silence fills the air? Broken. They're broken. Shattered everywhere!"_

Sweet Ann.  Miku felt chills on hearing her voice.

Apparently even Gakupo had a strong reaction to the presence of the twisted woman as he stopped fighting Neru at once to find the source of her voice.  He used his wings to shield the Kagamines who were close by him… and Miku saw a dart embed itself in his feathers.  His voice fell silent.

Luka’s fell next as Miku frantically tried to spot the source of the darts.  Finally she spied Ann leaning against a tree, holding a utility pistol and aiming it squarely at Rin and Len.  "RIN!  LEN!  LOOK OUT!"

It wasn't a quick enough warning for them to use magic… leading Rin to grab her brother and force him to the ground, using her body as a shield instead.  One dart sailed above her head, landing in the grass, but the other pierced her arm.  "Rin… sempai!" Len cried out.

In only seconds, the Vocaloids had gone from unstoppable to helpless.

Neru shrieked and created a massive sonic wave to knock away the people attacking her. "Hmph… last one" Sweet Ann said, this time aiming squarely at Neru.

Now even the Herald fell silent.  As Neru seemed to realize what they’d done to her, she took to the skies, but she was quickly knocked out of the air by the introduction of Big Al.  The hulking man slammed her into the ground and Miku thought he heard her bones breaking.  Regardless, Neru didn’t stir.

Gakupo stood in front of the twins.  Miku took a cue from him and rushed forward, drawing her sword.  "Gakupo and I don’t need magic to fight you!" she shouted.

"Oh that’s GOOD!  Because I’m itching for a FIGHT!"

Miku looked to Gakupo, who gave some sounds of labored breathing as the toxin took effect, but he easily repelled Big Al with his weapon as he leapt through the air after downing Neru.  Miku saw Sweet Ann double up on her and hoped against hope that by now she was strong enough to fight her alone…

 

Len grabbed Rin and ran over towards Kaito.  "What happened?!" he shouted, but as he saw Kaito’s face, he understood.

He looked back to the battlefield.  Without Rin helping him, they were just dead weight.  "Hey!  HEYYYY!"

Gumi emerged and rushed to Len.  "What’s going on!?" she asked, "I was filming this awesome fight and then it all fell apart!"

"That’s all you can think of?!"

"GAKUPO!  Look out!"

Len saw Gakupo duck a crushing punch just in time.  "They used some kind of throat paralysis darts on them!" he explained as Rin held out the dart that had punctured her.

Gumi looked up to see Miku and Gakupo trying to hold down the fort.  Miku looked Len’s way.  "Len!  Get out of here, please!  You have to save them!"

Len had never seen his "brave oniisan" so thoroughly terrified as he saw Kaito shaking and clutching his throat.  Before Len could set up a proper retreat, Big Al separated from the two people attacking him and began a rapid run towards the assembled Vocaloids.  "There’s the boy we’re looking for!"

He knocked his way through the group, sending Len flying as he grabbed a struggling Kaito.  "You’re in luck!  The last time I met you, I was just supposed to KILL you, but now they want you ALIVE!"

Len was helpless to stop him as he hoisted up Kaito.  "MIKU!  GAKUPO!  He’s got Kaito!"

 

_Harbinger.  They escape._

Gakupo looked up to see the monstrous man holding Kaito up over his shoulder.  He couldn’t allow them to escape!  He leapt through the air and dove at Big Al, hoping to take an arm off…

… his sword barely pierced the man’s thick flesh.  "Oh my!  You’re the first one to even scratch me!"

Before Gakupo could release his weapon, Big Al snapped his arm like a whip, flinging the Seruva away as he lost his grip on Miburi.  The sword remained embedded in the brute’s forearm.

_"Either flee for your life or make a final stand. But before you choose be sure that you do understand!"_

Gakupo heard the dull clanging of metal as Miku slammed into the cell phone tower, cruelly serenaded by Sweet Ann as the grotesque doll advanced on her…

_Harbinger. You know you have the power to stop them._

He hated them.  These wretched creatures, which thought so little of the lives around them.

_You can destroy them in an instant._

The melody danced in his ears, the power to rend them so enticing his warrior’s heart.

_You can control it.  Unleash it._

If they died here, it meant nothing.

_You understand._

‘I surrender.’

 

Luka felt an enormous wave of Dark Notes coming from Gakupo’s direction.  Her heart froze – he wasn’t, he wouldn’t!  She coughed as she tried to cry out to him but not a note escaped.  She watched him draw his wings close, black feathers swirling through the air.  When he released them again, he was again the fearsome tengu. 

His red eyes quickly focused on Big Al.  The yokai streaked through the air, Big Al attempting to punch him out of the sky.  But he couldn’t even touch Gakupo now that he had such incredible speed.  He grabbed the hilt of his blade and easily wrenched it free from Big Al’s arm… then sliced through the air and detached his arm entirely, causing Kaito to fall to the ground with nothing else holding him…

Luka expected some blood but none flowed.  It was as if Gakupo had chopped the arm off of a rag doll, stitches and all.  Kaito fell to the ground and Luka rushed over to him.  She wished she could ask him if he was okay, but neither one of them had their voices.  From the way he was trembling, Luka guessed the entire experience had shattered him to his core. 

"Oh, you’ve disarmed Big Al!  Get it?!" Sweet Ann let out a disturbing laugh. 

"Darn, and that was my FAVORITE arm!" the hulking monster replied as he watched his severed limb roll in the grass.

Luka grabbed Kaito tightly, hoping he could understand that she simply wanted him to run for his life.  These awful people had set up this chain of events to take him, and she would not allow it.  As his panicked eyes met hers, he seemed to understand and he ran with her.

Gumi waved them to her scooter.  "Come on!  I’ll get you and Blue out of here!  Shortstuff, make sure Creampuff and Pigtails get out okay!"

"Oh god, stop calling me that!"

 

The rush of power clouded his every perception.  He was nothing but pure unbridled fury, and these demon people his targets.  As the blonde woman attempted to kick him, he made a quick cleave and this time severed her head from her shoulders.

"Oh dear!  I seem to have lost my head!  HA!"

The woman’s body started to flop around harmlessly, reaching for the separated head and trying to keep it steady on her neck.  "All right, that was fun!  But we should probably get the secondary target!"

Their words meant little to him – with another swipe of his sword, he cleaved the monster man’s other arm from his shoulder as he attempted to punch him.

_They are trash._

‘I am defeating my opponents!’

_You’ve already failed your orders._

‘Find Kaito…’

He looked around him and realized Kaito was gone.  Who had taken him!?  Where?!

_The witch has spirited him away._

‘… kill all who interfere.’

The strength of his orders weighed down on his free will.  He wanted to change back, to release this form, but he’d erred – it was so much stronger now.  And he kept hearing the same orders echoing in his head.

‘Find Kaito.  Kill all who interfere.’

He took to the sky, finally spying Kaito on the back of a mechanical contraption.  The witch was shielding him.  But he had his orders.

 

Kaito trembled as he clutched Gumi to stay steady.  How had everything turned into such chaos?!  He was supposed to sing the ballad… he was supposed to die… instead he was alive and his friends were getting hurt… Gakupo was… he couldn’t even use his voice to save him, to draw him back…

He saw the black feathers just seconds before the tengu dove in front of them, impacting the ground with such force he shattered the pavement under him.  Gumi couldn’t get around him in time, overturning the scooter and sending the passengers tumbling.  "HEY!  I thought he was on our side!"

Kaito tried to stand and only saw Gakupo’s furious eyes.  He coughed, futilely trying to get some words out.

Then Luka stepped between them, her arms outstretched…

 

The witch placed herself between the two of them, no doubt planning to cast some wretched enchantment.

‘Kill all who interfere.’

He was surprised that she offered no resistance as he ran her through with his sword.  Why not?

And then… Gakupo’s vision cleared.

Luka was bleeding.  _Luka was bleeding._  And her blood… was on his sword.  _He had just killed Luka._

 

"LUKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Miku screamed as she saw Gakupo retract his blade from Luka’s chest.  She and Len tried to catch up to the overturned scooter.  Miku immediately drew her sword against her teacher, tears streaming down her face.  She knew she couldn’t fight Gakupo but… but…

His mouth hung open in a silent scream.  The pain in his face was unbearable… Gakupo was still in there… and he knew what he had done.

"Sempai!  SEMPAI!" Miku heard Len running to her side.  "Oh god… she’s… she’s…"

Gakupo thrashed around as he fought against whatever had drove him to hurt the woman he loved.  Miku stayed frozen, not willing to move lest he lose that battle.  What if he killed Kaito or Rin or…

Finally, Gakupo took off into the sky.  Miku didn’t dare move until she couldn’t see him anymore.

"Big Sweet’s grabbed the Herald and left…" Gumi said.  Even the normally unflappable girl was crying.

Miku turned to see Kaito cradling Luka’s body close.  Kaito. The one person with the strongest healing skills… muted.

Miku bent down next to Len, Rin silently sobbing into her brother’s arms.  Maybe the twins could have helped her… but not like this.

As her sempai’s blue eyes rested on Miku, all Miku wished was that somehow she could save her.  But… she was just a human girl playing at being a hero.  She couldn’t fight anyone.  She couldn’t cast magic.

"Sempai… please…" Len whispered.

…even Rin and Len could join their powers and cast spells together… if only… Miku could…

_Len still had his voice._

"Len!  Do you know the healing ballad!?"

"Of… of course I learned it…" he said, his voice shaking, "But… I can’t cast it by myself…"

His eyes widened as he realized what Miku was proposing.  " _You_ want to try it with me?!"

"Len, we have to try!  I’ve heard Kaito cast that ballad so many times, I could sing it too… and we both have the will to save Luka! And…"

"Stop trying to talk me into it and sing already, dammit!"

Miku joined her hands with Len.  "Just… try and focus on the same thing I am, okay?" he instructed, "I’m thinking about saving sempai…"

Miku wished with all her heart that she could save Luka’s life.

After a few shaky notes, she managed to find Len’s melody and tried to follow it.  Their voices grew closer, an intertwined melody that eventually shifted into one.

She thought she felt Len’s heart beating alongside hers…

 

Kaito never felt so helpless and weak.  First they stole his wings, then his voice… the only thing he still possessed that made him a Seruva…

But as he heard Len and Miku singing, he tried to mentally feel for Luka’s spirit passing into the veil.  He felt it began to drift.

 _‘Luka… don’t go!’_ he thought, trying to project his words beyond the veil, _‘Luka, we all need you!’_

He had no voice, but he prayed that his powers to speak to spirits didn’t require it.  He concentrated as hard as he could to transmit his thoughts into that fragile space beyond death.

_‘Please… please just follow my voice… I can’t… lose you again…’_

For a moment, he thought he heard her reassuring voice in his ears.

_Don’t worry, Kaito.  I won’t ever leave you behind again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah... yea.  Well.  That was... quite the rollercoaster.  As I say, I love happy couples... particularly how I lvoe tearing them apart at the climactic part of the story.  But hey GakuLuka fans... at least it's not Christmas like it was in SAWG.
> 
> Course... Kaito... didn't kill Miku... in SAWG... oh boy.  Well, I mean, maybe she's not dead.  It's a cliffhanger!  The mother of all cliffhangers I guess.  I was going to have a scene with how Gakupo is taking that but the chapter ran STUPID long and it's been moved to the opener of next week.  So THAT'LL be a cheerful chapter start. But... hopefully you guys have enough faith in me to keep reading and know I will not stop updating until this is done.  I just cracked Chapter 16 and have four more to write after that, so that should put our stop date at... mid-June?  Phew.  Lot of dominos to knock down before then!
> 
> I had to finally pick an appearance for Miriam this chapter, and I chose the blonde one modeled after her voice provider.  I learned there was an alternate silver haired Miriam, but I stuck with the blonde since Haku is also a Herald and I wanted her to be unique with her silver white mop.  Oh you Engloids and your myriad faces!
> 
> Neru is kind of an amalgam of references to the character’s fan persona.  Obviously her popping up at a cell tower is a reference to her character item… Which I kept because someone manipulating a cell tower would be incredibly dangerous!  The emotion of hatred is me commenting on how Neru was created to represent the fandom itself and what emotion is more fandom like than being a seething ball of hate?!
> 
>  **Song Credits:** Both "[Romeo and Cinderella](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swqbfMh467A)" as well as "[Another: Romeo and Cinderella](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXAML5DIYZA)" ([English lyrics](https://managarmr.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/lyrics-hatsune-miku-romeo-to-cinderella-another/)).  Actually, while there’s a lot of couples versions of Romeo and Cinderella on Youtube, I discovered that all of them simply have both characters singing the original version’s lyrics.  So I went digging and quickly found the Another lyrics and wow did that pay off – I really liked learning that the Romeo is such a self-destructive person who wants the girl even if it ruins them both.  "Tell Your World" makes its dramatic comeback!  And Sweet Ann sang a few lyrics from Ms. Constantine’s "[Standoff](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbEVLEKmey4)".


	12. The Harbinger of Noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The peace of the Vocaloids remains shattered, with one clinging to life and another seemingly lost forever to the Noise. The remaining members refuse to give up on one of their own so easily. Unfortunately, the Seruva are now descending to Earth seeking the self-proclaimed "Harbinger of Noise" as well. Kaito is about to learn some dark and devastating truths about his friend, himself, and everything he stood for – while the Harbinger seeks to tear the world asunder.

He collapsed in the grass of a clearing, his talons digging into the dirt.  She was dead.  _She was dead_.  He'd killed her.  She trusted him and _he had killed her._

He reached for his weapon.  He momentarily thought of reenacting the ritual seppuku of a samurai…

… but he was _not_ a samurai.  He did not deserve a samurai's honorable death.

 _Harbinger_.

His hands shook as he held the hilt.  In spite of his will to end his life, his arms locked in place as the blade hovered over his heart.

'… you will not release me.'

_Your release comes with the End._

He tried one last time to plunge the blade in… but the sword barely tapped the fabric of the costume she had crafted for him. The dissonant melody bound his actions too tightly.

_Harbinger. Tear the world asunder._

Finally he became aware of why he'd wound up _here_ of all places as he turned and set his eyes upon a small swirling rift from which endless Dark Notes flowed.  He rose to his feet and approached it, raising his blade and feeling the power rush from the rift and into himself.

His heart became a conduit of Noise, refining him into the instrument the Noise willed him to become…

 

_"I refuse to stand idly by and let them destroy the Spirit Caller!"_

_The blonde woman in front of Gakupo appeared unmoved by his outburst.  Such fury was unbecoming of a warrior.  But every time he thought of Kaito's nearly lifeless body…_

_"Commander Lily, we cannot allow this travesty to continue!  Kaito is… is…"_

_He caught himself.  "… the last Spirit Caller.  If they break him, our people shall break with him."_

_Lily checked around the room.  Of course he knew why – speaking such treason could get him Severed.  But right now… he knew he would give up everything if he could stop them from letting Kaito die…_

_"Gakupo."_

_Finally hearing her speak silenced him.  "You're too... emotionally attached… to your charge to think rationally right now. A strong warrior must be dispassionate.  Right now, you may make a mistake that could risk his life."_

_The notes of disappointment snuck into her otherwise solid voice as she made her pronouncement. "In light of your current state, I've no choice but to relieve you of duty."_

_Gakupo wished to protest, but he knew it would be futile. He might never see Kaito again.  He'd come to terms with leaving his feelings unspoken, just so long as he could continue to protect him.  Why could he not have stilled his tongue so he might stay at his side?_

_"Who will you place him under next?" Gakupo asked._

_Lily's stern expression softened.  "I shall care for him myself.  If you're in better shape in a few days, I'll try to have you reinstated.  Please… take this time for yourself."_

_As his commander departed, Gakupo saw no reason to stay in the training halls – he needed a good long flight to clear his head.  But as he left for the outside, a hooded Seruva bumped into him.  "My apologies…" she said, grasping his right hand._

_As she released it, Gakupo felt a piece of parchment slipped inside…_

Luka slowly opened her eyes.  Her body felt heavy and weak… but she was alive.

"… I have to wait with her.  It's my duty as her friend."

 "Is… anyone there?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Just the strength she needed to speak felt monumental.

"Luka!  You're awake!"

Luka began to roll her head to one side to see Kaito sitting at her bedside.  He was safe.  She had kept him safe this time…

"Just a second, I'll sing for you…"

Kaito's voice serenaded her and slowly her fatigue left her.  The work of a master healer… but… Kaito had been muted when she was injured… how?

She looked down at herself – at some point she'd been changed out of her Vocaloids costume into a white t-shirt and black sweat shorts. She wasn't in a bed – she was resting on an air mattress.  The only lighting came from a few lanterns swinging from the ceiling as there were no windows in the odd room she'd awoken in.  Random clutter and trash adorned the space, along with dozens of quickly hung wires leading to multiple desktop computers.

"Kaito?  Where are we?" she asked, trying to comprehend who could live in such a haphazard home.

"This is one of Gumi's… 'pads.'  In a security shelter under the streets."

Kaito said the word "pad" so oddly that Luka guessed he'd heard Gumi rattle it off without explanation before dashing off.  "We agreed our homes probably aren't safe right now… not with 'Big Sweet' looking for us…"

So that explained the lack of windows.  The entirety of Tsubasa City had been built with an elaborate network of underground tunnels and secure shelters in case of disaster.  A strange safety system given the potential threat of earthquakes and tsunamis... but apparently the Hearts were more concerned with death coming from the skies than the sea.

Not shockingly, the tunnels saw little regular use outside of getting turned into basement storage in the shopping districts.  Luka found herself similarly unsurprised that Gumi of all people would simply break into a shelter and convert it into a "secret base."

Luka observed the bags under Kaito's eyes.  He clearly had slept very little or not at all.  "Kaito…" Luka chided, "you're taking care of yourself too, right?"

He let out an embarrassed laugh.  "I'm… doing my best…" he said.

A few moments of silence passed before Luka found the courage to ask the most obvious question.

"What happened to Gakupo?"

The last image she had of him in her mind was those feral eyes coming towards her, his sword outstretched… with her voice silenced, she'd hoped in vain he'd recognize her and stop if he just saw her but… even her warrior was powerless to the Noise.

Kaito's smile faded as his mood grew more somber.  "We can't find him," he said, "After… you were hurt… he flew away…"

He hung his head.  "We don't know if he's alive…"

If Gakupo truly were emulating a samurai…. he wouldn't be.  Luka held her wrist in one hand, lightly rubbing it with her thumb and trying not to imagine him having done himself in out of grief.

Kaito shook his head from side to side.  "But I'm sure he wouldn't die like that! I… I still believe in him.  He always protected me, and now I'm going to help him!"

For a moment, Luka thought Kaito was looking at someone.  She turned to follow his eyes, but the room was empty except for the two of them.  He returned to face Luka as though nothing had happened.  For a moment, she began to recall her last conversation with the Kagamines about Kaito's strange behavior.  But before she could ask, the sound of the door flying open interrupted her.

"Hey, Blue! I'm baaaack!"

Gumi skipped into the room with plastic bags in each arm. When her eyes linked with Luka, she promptly dropped them and dove for the bed. Within seconds Luka found herself trapped in a crushing embrace. "Doubles! Oh my God, you're finally awaaaaake!"

For a second Luka thought she was about to pass out again… this time from a lack of air…

Fortunately, Gumi released her and wiped some tears from her eyes. "Holy crap… when I saw you with a sword sticking out of you, I thought that was gonna be it!  But you gotta have like… a buncha guardian angels looking out for you!"

On being reminded of how she came to this place, Luka touched her chest reflexively.  She briefly turned her body away from Gumi and Kaito and tugged down her shirt collar.  Examining her bare chest, she couldn't find even a single mark indicating where her mortal wound had struck her.

"Speaking of guardian 'angels'… how did I survive?  You'd lost your voice…"

"Miku and Len sang the ballad for you, when Rin and I couldn't," Kaito explained.

"Wait… _Miku?!"_

"Yea, they were all pretty surprised, let me tell ya!" Gumi butted in, "But there was this weird light… and then BOOM, you just stopped bleedin' right there!"

Humans… humans could harmonize.  Whatever Len and Rin's power was, they'd found a way to borrow Miku's voice to wield it.

"I finished healing you when my voice came back," Kaito continued, "That's why you don't have any scarring. But you were asleep for the last three days…"

Gumi returned to the pile of grocery bags and ran over to the fridge, stuffing the fresh items inside.  "Okay… I got two cups of strawberry ice cream, a bag of spring onions, a bunch of bananas, a bag of oranges, a bundle of carrots and… huh, I don't remember buying the eggplant…"

She stared at the vegetable before her face spread into a grin.  "Oh that's right, it's because it made me think of his head!  Hee hee… he's Nasu-san from now on!"

"Wait, you said everyone was out tracking Gakupo?" Luka asked, "What did you mean?"

"Oh, remember that cool tracking device I built?!?" Gumi gushed, once again drowning out Kaito entirely.

Luka spotted a familiar laptop on the counter, which now appeared to have even more weird bits and wires on it.  "Well, Miku didn't damage the last one too bad so I was able to use it to track Noise and Dark Notes all over the city!  I still can't find out where the wifi signals are coming from to turn them on… but I got a guy on the inside working on getting that to me…"

She shook her head rapidly.  "ANYWAY!  Pigtails and the dynamic duo are chasing down as many of these as they can to see if Nasu-san turns up near one… they'll let us know if they find anything…"

"Is that safe?!" Luka asked.  She of all people now understood how dangerous Gakupo's corruption made him.

"They… they insisted…" Kaito said, "Every one of us… wants Gakupo back.  Because… he's one of us."

Luka felt her body starting to tire… she began to wobble as she sat upright.  Kaito caught her before she tumbled onto the floor.  "I can heal you if you want…" Kaito said, "I… I know how much it takes to come back from the brink of death."

She nodded her head wearily, and soon Kaito's soft voice enveloped her.  "Uh… hey… been meanin' to ask…"

Kaito let out a frustrated sigh – Luka took that to mean Gumi had probably spent most of the time she was unconscious pumping him for information on the Seruva.  "Yes?"

She saw her tap him on the back.  "So if you're so good at healing, like, bringing people back from the dead…"

"… why can't I just bring back my wings?"

The sharp, bitter notes in his voice indicated he'd expected this question.  Even Luka hated hearing it – at least their friends had the decency not to ask… but Gumi was nothing if not blunt.  Since she was awake, she chose to relieve Kaito of having to answer for once.  "Gumi… even regenerating a lost limb is quite trying since we have to rebuild something that's been lost.  If I lost my heart entirely… that would be that."

She touched her chest tenderly.  "Our wings though… they're an extension of our spirituality.  Having them Severed… it also closes off a window to our magic as well.  Nobody can regain that… not even someone as talented as Kaito.  It's one of the reasons becoming Val'Sharess is so heavily stigmatized."

She chose her words carefully for Kaito's benefit.  The religious teachings on Severing were far more severe, but he already felt enough shame for the events beyond his control.

The soothing tones of Kaito's ballad lifted her battered spirit.  Not just from the magic, but from hearing the words of the friend that lured her back from the brink of death.  Except… somehow when she heard Kaito's voice echoing in that narrow window between life and death… she hadn't heard him as an adult.

She'd heard him as the frightened boy she'd abandoned on Earth to slow down his pursuers.  The boy she'd promised to return to…

Did he grow lonely and attempt to return on his own?  Had he simply failed to follow her instructions to hide himself?  But of course, he was still a young boy who'd grown up attended to by priests.  No doubt he exposed his location due to inexperience.

But when she heard his fearful voice crying out to her… all Luka wanted was to survive.  Again.

And this time… she would not fail another precious person again.

 

With one swift slice, Miku chopped another Noise Generator in half.  "There… you won't hurt anyone else!"

"You go Miku, you show that box of electronics whose boss!"

She groaned at Len who was snickering behind her.  "Hey, I don't see you contributing!" she shouted.

"Miku's just cross because she had to leave Kaito-niisan behind…" Rin said, her voice taking a dreamy quality, "Ah, the brave college girl fighting impossible odds to protect the man she loves!?"

At first, Miku had wanted to keep her new relationship quiet… try to sort out all the feelings rushing through her head.  Luka nearly dying, losing Gakupo… loving Kaito.  She'd just wanted to be to enjoy being with Kaito and how wonderful it felt to finally know he loved her too.  But of course the danger that chased him at every turn would find a way to ruin even _that_ happiness…

Naturally, Miku and Kaito couldn't keep _anything_ a secret because Kaito had declared he loved her _right in front of everyone_. 

He refused to explain his odd choice of timing in the days since.  Furthermore, he seemed to act a lot more protective of her now, as if frightened of losing her… but why wouldn't he be after what happened to Luka and Gakupo!?

The trio carefully snuck out of the back of the building they were in.  Miku had grabbed what clothes she could out of her home and ran, hence why she just wore just a black shirt, red skirt, and white hoodie over her red sneakers.

"That's three in a row… no sign of Gaku-niichan…" Rin lamented.

The twins were similarly dressed down, Rin in a brown hoodie, white button down shirt and brown skirt, Len in a white shirt, red pants, and white sneakers.

Rin was taking the recent turn of events almost as badly as Kaito.  She'd wanted so dearly to help anyone, but without her voice she could only watch the horrifying events play out in front of her. 

The only thing keeping any of the Vocaloids going in light of such a devastating turn of events was their drive to save a friend.

Miku pulled out her phone and updated the results.  "Urgh… how fast did Gumi code this app?  It's always crashing!"

She saw her phone light up with a text – finally, some _good_ news.

"Sempai's AWAKE!" Miku shouted.

"Ahhh!  We should go talk to her right now!" Rin insisted.

"Well, can't we hit a few more of these places on the way?!" Len added, "Think about it… if we could at least get sempai some good news about Gakupo, she'd probably feel better…"

Before Miku could make a suggestion as to their next action, all three Vocaloids froze as they heard the sound of massive wings flapping nearby.  On instinct, Miku drew her sword.  "Sh… Show yourself!"

A silhouette of a winged figure darted over them.  Miku looked up into the clouds and saw a female form with short hair and red and white robes highlighted against the sun.  For only a moment, Miku looked straight into her brown eyes and saw nothing but disdain… but not aggression. 

In moments she was gone, leaving nothing behind but a trail of white feathers.

Miku caught a few feathers in one hand as Rin said exactly what was on Miku's mind.  "We need to tell Kaito.  Now."

 

_Gakupo grasped the hood around his head as the night wind on the Verdant Plains kept threatening to blow away his disguise.  He knew of course that whoever had summoned him would know his true identity, but he didn't want everyone else to know too…_

_"We fight for the heart and soul of the Seruva.  The Elders insistence on chaining us to the Ancestor's wishes have left us stagnant – a society ruled by corpses.  And one that cannot survive on this course."_

_The figure standing before him spoke in a voice that was difficult to read gender from, covered in an elaborate disguise that completely concealed their face._

_"You'll find little disagreement from me," Gakupo remarked._

_He wasn't lying – he'd grown to mistrust the directions his tribe had taken, the cost of insisting on a life with no technology and rigid social customs._

_Not to mention the toll he learned it had on the one tasked with deriving those orders._

_"We have but one way to break the power of those who chain us… and that requires depriving them of the Spirit Caller."_

_For once he was glad his duties were suspended.  If this person had laid out a trap for him to get closer to Kaito… he knew Kaito was still safe with his Commander.  Still, he doubted they'd risked contacting him to get him to **murder** Kaito.  He'd been contacted after his outburst in the training hall, after all._

_"If your intent is for me to kidnap him…" Gakupo mused aloud, "The timing is wretched. With news of his ailment, the temples are crawling with guards.  They will be during his next vigil as well…"_

_Gakupo sincerely questioned if Kaito could survive another vigil._

_"We can arrange for that problem to solve itself… if you can assure us you can escape with the Spirit Caller."_

_He was betraying his people, his vows, and his caste… for just a single chance. "No simple feat, but one I can handle."_

_There would only be four other people in the room with Kaito… the most dangerous of them would be Meiko.  The other three Elders were old men – easily dispatched._

_"They'll rend the islands in two seeking him out though… we'll need safe shelter."_

_The figure stared out into the plains.  "We can provide you a fortified location."_

_And of course, Gakupo was taking one more great chance – that after he committed high treason, Kaito would willingly go with him.  He had to hope that Kaito's trust in him was stronger than the lies spun by the Elders. "For the good of the Seruva…" he murmured._

_To kidnap the Spirit Caller during a vigil… every step must be executed with perfection or he'd simply end up Severed for nothing._

_"My only condition… is that I stay with Kaito."_

_He clenched his fist around his sword hilt.  "And I swear… I will kill any one of you that tries to interfere."_

Kaito took the feathers from Miku and clutched them tightly.  If what she said was true… if she saw Meiko…

"What I don't understand is why she'd come alone…" Kaito whispered.

"Maybe she separated from her guards?" Luka suggested.

Now their pursuit was going to be more dangerous.  Did she already know of Gakupo's possession?  Was she trying to find Kaito herself?

'At least she can't Sever you again.'

Somehow Kaito could just imagine his friend's sarcastic quip and it set his nerves at ease.  Still, if she was in the city... matters had grown far more serious.  "Maybe we should try to find her," Luka suggested, "She may not be the person she used to be, but we've been operating from a position of ignorance.  We don't know what the Heralds are, we don't know what's happened to Gakupo, and we don't know why any of this is happening in the first place."

"Hey… guys?"

Gumi interrupted the discussion pointing to her monitor.  "I'm uh… picking up a HUGE Noise reading… but it's not in any of the places I've marked for having generators…"

Kaito felt a shiver.  If it _was_ a Herald… he walked over behind her, trying to interpret the large black blob on the map.  Gumi stared at the anomaly on her monitor in intense thought.  "Gonna run this one by Finch, to be honest…" she said, "Could be anything…"

"… it must be Gakupo."

Kaito turned to Luka and saw her fold her hands over her heart.  "Tengu… protect forests and temples.  That anomaly… is in the forest at the edge of the island."

"AH!  Doubles, you're so good at this!" Gumi said with stars in her eyes.

"Then we all need to go check this out," Kaito said, "If this one really _is_ him… we need to be prepared.  Especially… if other Seruva are searching for him."

Of course Kaito had no idea what he was going to do when he found Gakupo… every time in the past, his ballad had only temporarily halted the corruption.  For reasons he couldn't fathom, it was insufficient to clear his heart entirely.  If Meiko showed up, perhaps she _would_ know the source of the corruption and how to break it.

If Meiko showed up… she would find out he was Val'Sharess.  It was… doubtful Meiko would show the same kindness Gakupo had towards Kaito losing his wings and willingly living amongst humanity.  Let alone his relationship with Miku…

Kaito tried to control his emotions as he saw Haku standing behind Luka.  "It's okay!  This won't kill you! Well, I mean, _he_ might.  But saving him won't!"

As he took a step forward, he heard the sound of a paper crane crunching under his foot.  "EEK!  Hang on, I haven't finished stringing them yet!"

Kaito couldn't let on that he was being followed by spirits… not now.  If he did, no doubt Luka would figure everything out and… she might try and stop him from doing what he had to.

On the other hand… if Meiko appeared… perhaps he could make her tell him what was happening and he could save his own life as well as Gakupo's…

"Pardon me, but… how are we going to get there in time?" Luka asked.

Gumi waved her hands.  "Hey, the kiddos got their scooters, Pigtails and Blue can ride on the back of theirs, and you and I are takin' Ranka-chan!"

Gumi practically skipped out the front door.  Right now, the emerald-hair girl seemed to be the only cheerful person.  As Miku passed Kaito by, she gave his hand a squeeze of reassurance.

How ironic.  He'd wished so hard for more time with Miku.  But as he watched her following Rin and Len outside, he felt awful knowing that the extension of their happiness came at the cost of Luka and Gakupo's.

"Ummm… Kaito-niisan… are we going to have to fight him?"

Rin's melody shook with fear.  "He's… he's basically a Herald, right?"

Miku had a hand on the hilt of her sword.  "So… we just treat it like that.  We find out what's causing all that Noise… break it… and then Kaito sings for him."

Technically they didn't know what the Heralds were, or whether or not Gakupo was one as well.  Even so…

"Miku's right, Rin.  Don't worry, even if we have to fight him, we're not going to try and hurt him."

Even if he was _only_ assuring himself… "We're going to save him.  Gakupo is a Vocaloid… we won't leave him behind."

 

_Gakupo watched vigilantly as Kaito entered the prayer chambers.  Fortunately, the warrior had worked to put up the façade of normality he needed to ensure he could successfully return to his post._

_While the Spirit Caller's gait seemed to indicate he was back to full health, his paler complexion gave away his true health – Kaito had barely been awake a few hours.  Yet naturally, it took just six words to coax him back to prayers._

_"For the good of the Seruva."_

_For almost an hour, nothing disturbed the peace.  Gakupo began to worry that his signal to action would never arrive.  Until finally an explosion from outside distracted the guards at once, the ancient stone temple trembling with its shockwave._

_"The chains that bind us shall be BROKEN!" he heard several people cry as fighting broke out at the entrance to the temple._

_Gakupo sprang into action, gesturing to the guards at the temple doors. "Quickly!  Go to their aid! I shall fortify this position for the Spirit Caller!"_

_Most of them left at once to the outside.  Only the three guards at the door remained at their posts – loyal to a fault.  Three brothers he'd trained with as nestlings.  Wil, Yuu, and Kyo.  "Don't worry, Gakupo!" one of them said, "We'll stand by your side!"_

_Taking them by surprise meant he had them laid out on the ground with a few good shouts and blows.  He checked them for injuries – nothing serious.  Now that he'd turned on his caste, there was no turning away from his plan._

_As the room cleared, Gakupo barreled through the double doors and flew inside the ceremonial chamber.  He could hear all the powerful ballads of magic swirling around the room as the Elders and Kaito continued in their vigils.  He had to move quickly and disable Meiko first – she was the most powerful of the song mages…_

_As he broke inside, he spied Kaito with his eyes wide open and emitting a pure white light.  "You must dive deeper!" Meiko shouted, "You must find them and claim Sujata Hama!"_

_Kaito appeared to be in great pain.  "P….please…" he begged, "They're not here… they've been swallowed up… I can't pursue them and… and Meiko, please, it's coming for me! Please, I don't want to go any further!"_

_"…and you're not going to." Gakupo said gruffly._

_With one mighty force wave he slammed Meiko into a wall.  Apparently he'd landed the blow perfectly, as she rolled to the floor unconscious.  He turned to the elderly men that began to cease their prayers to attack… but Gakupo was far too quick for them.  He sliced through two spells at once and disabled them as he had Meiko.  "Kaito!  We must flee, now!"_

_Kaito was clutching at his head.  "NO!  Where are the anchors?!  I can't… I can't find my way back!"_

_"Kaito!  I'm right here!" Gakupo pleaded._

_The white color in his eyes turned black and Kaito settled his sights on Gakupo.  "You!  You did this!"_

_Gakupo never wanted to turn his sword on Kaito… but the rage in his face struck fear into the warrior's heart.  Dark ballads filled the halls as Kaito began to sing in a dissonant tone, radiating dark balls of energy that hurled themselves towards the trained warrior.  Gakupo tried to carve through them as he had the simple Seruva magic, but he found them far more resistant to his blade._

_"You… are… the first…"_

_Dark, wispy spears formed around Kaito's body and he flung them at his friend.  Gakupo used all of his agility to duck out of their way, trying to close to Kaito and knock him out… before a spear shot through his wings, altering his path._

_Gakupo let out a small shout of pain.  To see Kaito's gentle heart consumed by such evil power… "What have they done to you?"_

_Another series of spears began to fly at Gakupo, pinning him to a wall by his clothes and through his white wings.  Kaito's melody changed as he watched Gakupo struggling to free himself, not a sign of mercy or recognition on his face.  He summoned a swirling, wispy ball of energy and hurled it towards his friend.  As it slammed into the helpless warrior's body he felt Dark Notes swarm through his mind as it spread like a multi-tentacled beast, latching itself to his body and drowning out all conscious thoughts with the wretched cacophony of Noise._

_Gakupo summoned all of his will to try and fight them back but as his vision clouded, he remained barely aware of Kaito blowing out a back wall of the temple and escaping.  All he could hear in his mind… was the discord._

_…what had he done?_

He remained motionless, drawing power from the portal.  He'd only been interrupted twice in the last several days.  Both times by groups of humans.  They sought to control him.

He simply destroyed them, feeding their bodies to the Noise he drew his power from, further binding himself to its will and granting it a place on Earth.

Soon the Harbinger would unleash the Noise upon the world and nothing would remain of this human city…

"And so I find you here."

He turned his head and saw the brown eyes of the person he hated the most besides himself.  The Red Priestess.  He pulled his sword away from the portal and promptly engaged to attack her.  He cried out to summon lightning and wind, striking and stabbing at her with her sword and claws.

She in turn cried out with dissonant melodies of her own, summoning black chains from the earth to lash at him, trying to hold him fast.  She was a _far_ stronger opponent now than she had been when he'd struck her down in surprise.  Even alone, he recognized the Red Priestess had the power to become something like him… no, perhaps she'd even surpassed him…

Though the two remained evenly matched, fighting a battle worthy of the heavens themselves, eventually the Red Priestess played her trump card.

"Stand.  Down."

At once his body convulsed and stilled in spite of his will to destroy her.  "You… are incredible.  I never dreamt a wretch like you could form into such a perfect weapon."

'Find Kaito.  Kill all who interfere.'

… his orders… were in _her_ voice.

She had given him the orders that forced him to destroy the woman he loved…

She'd merely been testing him.  In truth, he recognized her for what she'd become – his Master.  Somehow… somehow she was responsible for the crimes he'd committed after his original sin…

A buzzing sound approaching his sacred shrine alerted him to the presence of outsiders.  He turned his head to see them, but the Dark Notes clouded his perception of their identities.  He only saw more foes…

 

"…Meiko."

The brunette turned to face Kaito and he thought his heart was about to pound through his chest, but he had to stay strong.  Because right next to her stood Gakupo, completely motionless.  And right behind _them_ … a hole in the veil.  Spitting out Dark Notes and pulsing with the Noise at its source.

"Gaku-niichan!" "Gakupo!" "Nasu-san, he's alive!"

Kaito tried to get a better look at Gakupo as he stood at Meiko's side.  In the days since he'd last seen him, his features appeared far less Seruva-like than before.  Somehow his face appeared sharper, his skin was white like a corpse, and his feet extended into long claws, like those of a crow.  Kaito just prayed that his appearance didn't indicate that Gakupo's mind was gone as well…

"Gaku-niichan, it's us!  We're here and sempai's okay!" Rin pleaded.

The twisted Seruva stood unmoved by her pleas, causing Kaito to fear the worst…

" _Val'Sharess."_ Meiko spat the words out like a vile taste.  "You've descended this far, Kaito?"

As Meiko turned her harsh brown eyes to Kaito, he felt that familiar sensation come back – shame.  How easily she could make him feel utterly worthless…

Before he could respond, Miku was at his side.  "He didn't do it to himself!" she shouted, "It wasn't his fault!"

"So am I to assume humans did?" Meiko's voice dripped with disgust. "And now you walk with them at your side?"

" _What did you do to Gakupo?_ "

Luka's frigid notes crossed her melody like an icy wind.  Meiko swept her hands to her silent partner.  "This man… committed treason of the highest order."

Gakupo's red eyes fixed upon Kaito.  He couldn't even tell if Gakupo knew who he was, but something about the way they shook indicated he understood what Meiko was saying even if he did not understand who she spoke to. 

"Gakupo would _never_ commit treason.  He's the most loyal warrior in the entire tribe!"

Kaito spoke his words with the certainty of years spent at Gakupo's side, under his vigilant protection.  Yet the high priestess' raised eyebrow gave him pause.  "A curious statement given that he attacked _you_ at the temple."

"I… I followed a spirit…" Kaito said weakly, "In the last vigil I… I lost my anchors and the spirit… I chased it to the Verdant Plains and…"

His voice trailed off as he realized he had no memories of what had happened to him in the temple while his spirit remained trapped beyond the veil.  He only remembered regaining his perception of being in his body as he was attacked by the humans... _anything_ could have happened before that…

"Your 'loyal' guard joined with rebels to kill you.  When we awoke after his attack, we found our sacred temple in ruins, you missing… and the vile traitor pinned to the wall and raving mad with the power of Noise.  I assume the rebels empowered him so… thus I had little choice but to claim him."

Kaito didn't want to believe it… this wasn't the person he knew… but as his changed friend lowered his eyes, he worried there was some truth to it…

… and he quickly realized Meiko was confessing to a crime of her own.

"You… you've been wielding Dark Notes…"

Gakupo's body twitched as the portal behind him let fly with a burst of Noise.  Kaito could feel the wild swirl of power tear at his fraying emotions.  "For so long, we were taught to believe the Noise was something we must contain…"

Meiko held her hand forward, examining her fingers.  "That's why Spirit Callers exist… you are supposed to help us keep it from harming the tribe.  When you disappeared after Prima's death… it became imperative to devise another solution…"

"…that solution became me.  The Elders learned to manipulate the Noise without letting it infect them.  They empowered me with it… but I've come to realize I alone cannot stop the human's incursions in our land."

She glared at Kaito.  "You yourself were stolen away by humans, were you not?"

Flashes in his head of the lab, of the torture, of being pried away from the world he knew and thrown into a nightmare of pain and suffering.  "And you were _not_ the first!  Even when we stayed away from humanity, even when we isolated ourselves in the Islands… they still prey upon what remains of us!"

As the portal pulsed, Kaito heard a few sharp notes in Meiko's voice as energy swirled around it.  He remembered how the humans treated him when he was captured.  How he was so frightened of them that he'd even distrusted Miku…

"Humans… aren't good or evil…" Kaito said, "They're… so much more than that.  Some of them are truly evil… and some of them are truly good… but they all have so many wonderful melodies and lives…"

Meiko's calm seemed to shatter at his words.  "Listen to what they've done to you!  They stole our beloved Spirit Caller, our only window to the beyond, they mutilated you, and now they've even planted rebellion in your heart to turn you from your people!"

"Shut UP!"

Kaito had not expected _Len_ to speak out so swiftly.  "Just admit that you're the one that did this to Gakupo already!  Then start going off on how awful we humans are, I dare you!"

The boy's fists shook with his rage.  Kaito stared down Meiko, who seemed to be trying to restore her own sense of control.  "This wretch… who so betrayed his own kind… did not deserve a Severing.  So I crafted him into an instrument that could undo his evil…"

Kaito didn't want to believe this.  He'd given so much of himself for Meiko, for the Elders, in the name of the Seruva… now Gakupo might have turned on him and they'd turned him into a monster?!

Did Kaito truly understand _anything_ about his old life!?

"He's performed somewhat erratically… but otherwise… he took his orders well.  I intend to take him, cleanse his mind of the resistance that remains and put him to service as the vanguard for the coming war…"

 

"You are _not_ taking Gakupo _anywhere_."

Luka tried to remind herself that the person Meiko was now was not the person she used to care for.  _They_ had done this to her.  But even so, she was now an enemy.  _And she had done this to Gakupo._

"I shouldn't even have to acknowledge you, _Val'Sharess_.  But your objections are not unexpected given your similar penchant for crimes against the Seruva!"

Meiko turned her gaze to Kaito.  "No doubt I have you to blame for his choice in company…"

"I make my own choices now!" Kaito shouted.

"In that case, I am compelled to give you one now."

Her stern expression shifted to one of a controlling parent bearing down on a child.  "Your power amongst the Seruva is so great that even if you have become Val'Sharess, you would be welcomed back so long as you resumed your duties."

Kaito's mouth fell open in shock.  "I… I can just… go home?" he asked in disbelief.

Meiko nodded.  "Kaito… think of the good of the Seruva… how could you abandon them for the humans that destroyed us?"

Luka held her tongue, simply watching Kaito.  To have that life dangled in front of him… such cruelty.  "Tell me.  What is the Sealing ceremony and what did you do to me?"

Kaito ignored the question as the high priestess stared at him in surprise.  "What in the world do you need to know about that for?"

"My mother and Luka risked themselves to stop me from being Sealed.  Now the Heralds speak of it every time I banish them."

He raised his head and glared at Meiko.  "If you expect me to abandon my friends, the people who've stood by me through my trials, to let you do what you please with Gakupo… the least you'll do is tell me what the Seal is and why the Heralds continue to warn me of it."

Meiko's expression turned darker.  "I understand… you ask because your oblivion approaches."

'Oblivion?!' Luka thought to herself, 'Is Kaito in danger?!'

"Your answer, Kaito.  Now."

"Kaito would never go back with an awful person like you!" Miku shouted at the top of her lungs, "He's never thought twice about protecting others!  He's a Vocaloid and he believes in us just like we believe in him and-"

"Miku… that's enough…" Kaito said.

Miku looked like she had more than a few more angry words to toss at the priestess, but she held her tongue as Kaito smiled reassuringly at her.  He turned back to Meiko in defiance.  "If you won't answer my question… then mine is simple.  I will not abandon humanity.  I will not abandon my friends.  I _will not_ abandon Gakupo and…"

He grasped Miku's hand to make his point extra sharp.  "I won't abandon the woman I love."

Upon her realization of what Kaito was confessing to her, her face filled with revulsion.  "To think humans could so thoroughly corrupt you!"

The priestess turned to her "instrument" and Luka mentally prepared herself for what would come next.  Gakupo's eyes remained an eerie blank as he stared at the assembled Vocaloids without appearing to understand who they were.

 "Gakupo!  Retrieve Kaito.  Kill every one of these humans so he might return."

"Remember… this is just a Herald… exactly like a Herald…" Kaito repeated.

This time Luka would not expect Gakupo to hold back.  She looked to her companions and every one of them seemed ready for the wild fury he was capable of.  Even Rin seemed ready for anything – she just wanted her "Gaku-niichan" back.

And Luka… wanted her warrior back.

 

He struggled to try and regain his senses but the strength of the orders pressed against his will.  He only felt the fury and will to destruction as he charged forward to strike down his foes. He started with the girl with the sword – perhaps she would be an easy kill.

He swiped quickly, surprised that she met some of his strikes, but he was so much faster…

He heard three shouts and quickly sliced through three light arrows before they impacted him.  The girl dove back and his sword met a shield of light.

These "humans" were not like the weaklings sent before.  He doubted they were even "human".

_It's almost time._

The priestess could only control him because right now she was stronger than him.  He carved through shield after shield as if it were nothing trying to get to the girl.

_You are the harbinger… your power is infinite._

Even though he'd been interrupted by the priestess, he could still feel the power of Noise filling him from the portal.  Chipping away at everything that was left of him and preparing him for his true purpose before the Noise.

_They cannot destroy us._

He felt that power finally peak… and he felt the moment when suddenly "orders" mattered not.  _He_ mattered not. 

 

Miku was gasping for breath from having to fight so many charges from such a furious attacker.  She was covered in scratches and cuts from the times she'd failed her parries and Gakupo had clawed her up.  She heard Kaito's voice in her ears and the pain from her wounds rapidly faded.  He was trying so hard to keep everyone safe…

She saw a flash of light as the portal in the field pulsed several times.  Gakupo suddenly ceased his attack and this time even _Miku_ could hear the dissonant melodies in the air.  "What's this?"

Apparently even Meiko had no idea what her soldier was doing.

Gakupo darted towards the portal, spreading his wings wide and holding up his blade.  "I AM THE HARBINGER OF NOISE!"

His bellowing voice echoed through the trees, like that of an angry god.  "THIS WORLD SHALL KNOW DESTRUCTION!"

The portal began to spew forth a wild flow of Dark Notes, light and wind ripping across the trees.  Miku felt her emotions going into overdrive, anger, fear, sorrow, jealousy, hatred… her identity tearing apart as the chaotic powers flew at her.

She fell to her knees, trying not to let all of this power destroy her.  She remembered being tossed into the Noise by Miriam and how she'd tried to use her feelings for Kaito to stay strong… she tried to imagine everything she loved about him and why she wanted to protect him and keep him safe...

She heard Kaito's voice ring out with the Song of Purification.  He seemed to be channeling all of his power at the rift itself.  She screamed as she saw Gakupo begin to draw his sword and aim for Kaito.

 

Luka rushed in front of Kaito, placing all of her will into the shield she was wielding to protect him.  It wavered and shook as Gakupo sang out a twisted ballad, causing black lightning to slam into the shield.  She glanced behind her – the Kagamines were huddled next to each other, singing out of their sense of bonding.  Miku was using her sword to steady herself.  Gumi was already unconscious and turning grey.  None of them were entirely able to withstand so much power.

"Kaito!  Can you close it?!"

Kaito gritted his teeth as he kept channeling energy against the rift.  "I don't know… it's like it's using Gakupo as an anchor!  We have to remove that but…"

A wild pulse drove Kaito back several steps but he remained steadfast in his ballad.  She stared at the monstrous tengu that hurled one bolt after another at her, fighting her with every breath.  Kaito needed to be the one to heal him… he was the only person strong enough… but he couldn't divert that power when he needed so much to hold back the rift.  Luka knew the safest way to protect Kaito but… Gakupo would die.

That was _not_ an option. 

In desperation, she thought back to how he'd once pulled her from oblivion with a song.  The first time she'd met him, her attempt to cast the ballad had a small effect on him.  Maybe… if she started to perform it herself...

"Rin, Len, Miku!  Keep protecting Kaito!"

After a moment, she saw a brilliant golden shield form in front of her.  Miku stood by her side.  Her hands shook around her weapon, but her stance was firm.  "Sempai… I believe in you…" she whispered.

Luka knew the next task was hers.  "YOU CANNOT CEASE THIS DESTRUCTION!"

She sang the song with every ounce of energy she had, trying to bend every note towards Gakupo.  If she could reach him and calm him enough, she could try the next step…

It clearly had some effect because he practically roared at her with fury.  "DO NOT INTERFERE!"

She knew those eyes… she tried to suppress the fear beating in her heart as the memories flooded back… she couldn't lose ground or she would fail him… she couldn't cease the song or she would fail him...

 

The melody _hurt_.  Everything about it made him burn in agony.  Why?!  The witch couldn't stop him as the Harbinger… he would _show_ her!

_The witch must die._

All he could do was destroy… all he'd ever done was destroy… but her melody continued to work against him.

_Harbinger, destroy her._

He held his sword out, intending to cut her down for good.  He heard screaming around him, but not hers.  This time she would not get up.

'This… time?'

_Harbinger, destroy your foes!_

He fought the clouded vision and roaring sounds to try and see his target... the first time he killed the witch… he shattered… why?

Before his sword pierced her chest he saw blue eyes and pink hair and a name flew into his head…

 

"LUKA!"

Gakupo shouted her name as he stopped just centimeters from impacting a golden shield of light. Rin and Len clearly didn't intend for a tragedy to repeat.

"Gakupo… you didn't kill me… I'm alive…" Luka whispered, staring into his eyes from the other side of the shield.

Once more the twisted Seruva thrashed around in front of her as the madness tried to take him again.  Hopeful from his recognition of her, Luka continued to sing for him.  As Gakupo finally seemed to calm again, he met her eyes again. 

"Please… please end it… please stop me before I destroy you all… I won't stop you…"

"… and I won't kill you."

He stared up at her in shock.  "It won't release me!  Please… when the life leaves my body… Kaito can close the portal and…"

"None of us came to kill you, and none of us are _going_ to kill you."

Gakupo looked as though he wished to speak again, when another fit took him and the fury returned to his face.  Miku leapt forward first, parrying his blows with far greater ease than before – Gakupo seemed to have far less combat focus than before.  Luka stayed clear, using her years of agility from dancing to stay one step ahead.  She hoped her unbroken ballad was weakening the power of the Noise.

A hope that increased when Miku finally managed to knock his sword away from him. Luka grabbed it out of the grass and held it close...

 

Why would she not grant him peace?!  Did she not understand how dangerous he was!?  How many people had suffered because of him!?

_Harbinger!  Destroy her!_

Her melody hurt him, physically and mentally as it kept trying to wrench his corruption from him. But she couldn't complete it.  She could only end him.  But she was stubborn.  She was _always_ stubborn.  That… that was something he loved about her. 

He loved her. 

He loved her far too much to let her give her life so pointlessly. 

_Harbinger… there is a way…_

The Noise beckoned him – if he drove himself into the rift, it would finally tear him to pieces… he would be free and Kaito could obliterate the rift… he broke away from fighting and turned to dive into oblivion itself…

… he felt arms around his chest and he quickly stopped himself before both he and a persistent "witch" were destroyed together…

"If you're so determined to fling yourself in there and end it, you'll have to destroy me too!"

 

"NO!  Luka, release me!"

Trying to maintain a grip on the writhing Seruva took every bit of strength she had.  Gakupo tried pushing her hands away, but still she maintained her hold on him.  She would turn that sense of sacrifice against him by any means.

"I'm not letting go… and I won't stop singing…"

Indeed, she had not broken her ballad.  Somehow it had pierced the madness trying to pry her warrior from her for eternity.  The rift flared again, nearly pushing Luka and her warrior apart, but still… she held fast.

"Why…" he murmured, sounding so broken in melody and spirit, "I am beyond salvation for my crimes…"

"Because I will _never_ allow _them_ to take another precious person from me again."

As he seemed to calm, Luka pleaded with him.  "Gakupo… please… sing the ballad with me… sing until it releases you…"

If there was enough of Gakupo left… maybe he could sing with her… maybe his voice could complete it and finally free him…

… she heard the first few weak notes emerge from his throat…

 

Every note burned, like the vilest acid singing his throat.  His voice shook as he pressed forward anyway.  He tried to allow his voice to follow Luka's and entwine itself with hers…

_You are the Harbinger of Noise!_

The Noise tried to drown him out with its oppressiveness, but with every note, he felt it breaking away from him.  His own power, his own life, his very identity and sense of self…

_You are the Harbinger of this world's End!_

'No.'

Gakupo felt as though his heart beat with another as he continued his song…

 

Kaito felt his hands shaking as he started to run out of stamina, but he had to sing as long as he could.  He couldn't fail Luka and Gakupo!  "Don't worry, Kaito-niisan, we'll help you out!"

He felt his fatigue being slowly erased by the twin ballad of Rin and Len.  He felt the rift trying to drive him back.  He realized none of the others saw the rift as he did – a wretched tear between life and death, the veil itself ripped asunder allowing the Dark Notes infecting the world beyond to spread and destroy.

But finally… as he heard Gakupo's voice build and join Luka's… he felt himself _winning_.  The rift trembled as their voices grew in strength and the invisible link between the Noise and Gakupo shattered.  With every ounce of power he had, Kaito began to form a ball of light in his hands.

"Oh… that's a new trick!  You're better at this than I was…"

"Tch, I could make it look cooler…"

"Ah, the cranes are getting blown away!"

"You do know it won't forgive you for this, right?"

Kaito hurled the energy forward into the center of the gaping rift.  It pulsed and warped as the light wrenched it close, created a massive shockwave…

… and Kaito felt the last of his energy leave him…

 

"KAITO!" Miku shouted, catching him before he hit the ground.

As she saw his weak pallor and still face, she grew fearful.  "Kaito, hang in there!" "Kaito-niisan, please!"

Kaito remained still but slowly his eyes opened and focused on Miku.  He looked so frail… "Kaito, you scared me… for a second… I thought you were… you were…"

She pulled him closer to her and felt him embrace her tightly.  "I'm… I'm fine… I've just never used so much power at once…"

He released Miku and looked over her shoulder.  "Gakupo… did we save him?"

Miku looked in his direction to see Luka and Gakupo on the ground, tightly embracing each other… a cloud of white feathers drifting around them from his white wings…

 

"Luka… I think… I ruined the costume you made for me…"

… he loved the chime of her laughter. He loved the smile on her face.  He loved the way her eyes sparkled with joy…

 

… she loved his rich voice and his terrible sense of humor.  "The dissonance…" she murmured…

Every note in his voice drifted with happy relief.  "It's gone… it's finally gone…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, all of the important questions are being answered.
> 
> GUMI'S SCOOTER HAS A NAME! I know, what a shock! Phew, well, we can all rest easy now.
> 
> I considered one more cliffhanger this week… but this was another busy chapter given some of the plot threads it resolved. Alas, Tengupo, you were taken out by a very determined woman with arms of steel.
> 
> Seppuku is something I probably don't need to explain in detail here since it's a rather well-known element of Japanese samurai culture. I'll just point out that ritualized suicide is intended to allow a samurai to preserve honor upon death. Gakupo choosing not to perform it is him acknowledging that he's not a real samurai (feeeeeeeels).
> 
> "Nasu" is Japanese for "eggplant." Some of you that follow me on tumblr may have noticed me occasionally nicknaming Gakupo "Nasu-san", well, it's because I wrote this chapter and looked up the word. "VanaN'Ice" actually includes the word in the middle of the name to get Gakupo's character item in there. I debated just calling him "Eggplant", but "Nasu-san" sounds so much more formal… and hence more ridiculous for Gumi to use as a nickname.
> 
> The art I chose for this chapter is in fact fan art of Tengupo by Syradhe, who also helped me during conception of Broken Wings by giving me an angry sketchy concept of him to motivate me via fear. So now you get to see the full fury of Tengupo while you're trying to read this chapter.


	13. In Hora Mortis Nostrae

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Gakupo is safe, Kaito faces an immutable, unchangeable fact – his death is upon him. As if to goad him into hastening his end, a Herald appears within a concert hall singing a mournful prayer for the son who shall share her lonely fate. Will the Vocaloids uncover the truth before he passes? Will Miku even realize she walks her new lover to his untimely sacrifice?

 

"TETO!!!!" "TETO-CHAN!"  "TETO!"

The wild and rowdy cries filled the concert hall as the fans anxiously awaited the appearance of their lovely twin-drilled idol.  Many of them held aloft soft pink glowsticks and loaves of French bread.

"TE-TOOOOOO!" "TETO-SAMA!"

Finally, the idol’s voice emerged as Teto arose from a platform in a trap door below the stage.

"I love you always! I received a kiss from you! I cannot forget this precious memory of mine!"

Teto had her hands on her hips, swinging them back and forth as she bobbed her head from side to side.  Behind her, her backing band supported the song.  A lovely androgynous individual wearing a black mid-riff bearing dress glibly performed on his rainbow keyboard.  A girl with long white hair in a black sailor uniform with a red skirt played guitar, her partner a girl in a blue long-tailed waist coat and black pants with black pigtails and blue streaks in her hair jamming on the bass guitar.

"If dorayaki cannot become my main diet, I'll just have to overwrite it my way!"

Suddenly every light in the auditorium switched off, along with the soundtrack.  While the star’s voice carried for a few confused moments even that ceased.  Murmurs of confusion filled the crowd…

The spotlight reappeared, focusing on the center of the stage on a woman clad in a simple, formfitting black floor-length evening gown, black gloves, and black heels.  Her long black hair was pinned into a tight bun.  "Um… hello?  Miss?"

The woman’s eyes were closed, her hands folded delicately in front of her.  She finally turned her head up and a powerful operatic soprano projected through the air.

" _Ave Maria, gratia plena..."_

"Miss?  We’re… trying to have a concert here…"

A ghostly choir arose to accompany the woman’s voice as she continued her performance.

_"Ora pro nobis peccatoribus…"_

The normally happy Teto suddenly found her smile fading… nothing mattered to her… her emotions felt dead…

_"Ora, ora pro nobis peccatoribus…"_

The crowd’s concern turned to silence as every person felt their will drain.  Their hearts bore nothing but apathy.

_"Nunc et in hora mortis… In hora mortis nostrae…"_

The soprano opened her aqua eyes and unfurled a pair of black wings…

The lights flickered and shut off.  When they rose again, the entire auditorium stood silent and empty.

 

"GAKU-NIICHAAAAAAAAAAN!"

In mere seconds, Rin had sent the towering Seruva flying back to the forest floor from the strength of her hug.  "I was so scaaaaaaared!  I thought I was never gonna see you again!"

Kaito watched the happy scene play out in front of him as he sang to awaken the slumbering Gumi.  "AH!  Rifts, tengu, crazy woman… AHHHH! Did I miss it?!"

She looked over to Gakupo, still pinned to the ground by Rin.  "Ah!  Nasu-san, you’re back!  Thank goodness!"

Apparently Gakupo hadn't noticed his new nickname.  Rin finally climbed off of Gakupo, who rose to his feet and dusted himself off.  His costume had small tears and holes all through it.  He began to slip off what remained of his boots.  "Ah… and after all that time and effort you spent on these…"

The warrior surveyed the area around him with a stern face.  "Where is Meiko?"

Kaito was surprised to hear a few notes of fear hanging in his otherwise normal voice.  Then again, given what Meiko had done to him…

"She flew off when the portal closed!" Miku stomped her feet, "Probably knew she couldn’t take all of us when she couldn’t control you anymore!"

Kaito actually doubted that particular reason… if she had the kind of power she was boasting, she could have flattened them.  Perhaps they weren’t worth her time anymore.

"Gakupo… I’m glad you’re safe."

The warrior turned to acknowledge him.  As his smile faded, Kaito immediately felt guilty even questioning his loyalty, but… after what Meiko had revealed to them…

"Meiko… said you tried to kill me.  You broke into the chamber and…"

Seeing his face filling with shame stabbed at Kaito’s heart – that meant at least some of the story was _true._ "What really happened the day I was captured by humans?"

Gakupo hesitated, the melody that emerged from his answer confused and shaky.  Kaito had never seen his friend speak so unguarded before.  "I… I did not make an attempt on your life, though I suspect she assumed I was.  But I did interrupt your ritual."

Gakupo couldn’t even look Kaito in the eye.  "I… I used the aid of a resistance group to pull away the guards so I could get inside and… kidnap you."

"You were going to turn me over to them?!"

Gakupo had always been so loyal to him… why would he betray him?!  That didn't make sense…

He examined his hands, wriggling his fingers as if he was getting used to no longer possessing talons.  "You may recall I spent a week out of your service while you were unconscious.  They approached me during that gap and we concocted a plan.  They determined the easiest way to break the power of the Elders was to remove the Spirit Caller…"

He hesitated a moment, the words clearly causing him great pain.  "I agreed… because the easiest way to protect _you_ was to remove you from the Elders…"

"Why were you so obsessed with that?!" Miku blurted out, "What was that crazy woman trying to do to Kaito?!"

Miku’s melody sounded so frightened.  Kaito found himself glad she was speaking, because he still couldn’t quite wrap his head around what he’d just been told.  Gakupo _knew_ he’d been attacked as a child!  He’d lost his memories during an assassination attempt!  Now he was confessing to joining with some outside group with the same intentions?!

"I know nothing of what Meiko sought… I only know that… Kaito would _not_ have survived his Spirit Caller vigils if I did not intervene."

Gakupo’s voice felt so uncharacteristically weak.  "When I broke into your chamber on the day of your capture… I disabled the Elders within minutes.  I simply expected you would come with me… but… I found you in some sort of trance.  You attacked me… and you wielded Noise against me."

Kaito tried to piece together the events of his last day amongst the Seruva… he remembered the start of the vigil, he remembered propelling his spirit through the veil and entering the abyss of souls… he remembered the safe anchoring melodies of the Elders and Meiko… but… he began to lose track of what happened to his spirit after that…

… he’d attacked Gakupo!?  He’d wielded _Noise_?  Why wasn’t he like Gakupo was, corrupted and insane?!

"Gakupo, I swear… I remember nothing of what happened in the temple after the start of my vigil," Kaito explained.

"I suspected as much given your reaction when we met on Earth," Gakupo reflected, "It _is_ curious how neither you nor I possess the memories of what happened after that… even though Meiko claimed responsibility for my corruption, I can’t even recall my capture…"

"It has to be the Noise…" Miku murmured.

All eyes fell to her.  "Why do you think that?" Kaito asked.

Miku pressed her fingers together.  "I’ve been thinking a lot about all these memory things, you know?  Like… when Miriam tossed me into the Noise, I lost a lot of my memories of that day."

Kaito noticed Len fidgeting as Miku continued her story.  "When I was in the computer, it was like it just tore me apart… and then when I left, it put me back together again but it wasn’t perfect… maybe it’s like that for you guys too.  So you don’t remember what happened because of Noise…"

Kaito held his hands to his head as he struggled to work backwards through his day.  "I remember crossing the veil… I remember my anchors… I… I remember wandering the abyss and… I…. I…"

"Hey… guys?"

Len interrupted the story.  "I… I don’t think any of us know what you’re talking about.  Like… Kaito’s talking about a veil?  And going past it?  And anchors and stuff?"

"Kaito-niisan, what kind of ‘rituals’ did they make you do?" Rin added, "What _does_ a Spirit Caller do?"

Technically he wasn’t supposed to tell them.  But given his potentially short remaining time alive… they might need as much knowledge as he could provide.  Besides, it would relieve him of some of the burden of carrying the secrets of people he no longer trusted.

"The ‘veil’ is the barrier between life and death.  All souls move past it on their journey to their final resting place."

His fists tightened.  "As a Spirit Caller, I can move behind it safely and draw a spirit out from the space beyond.  I… I basically channel them."

If Gakupo had broken into the chamber with no knowledge of the ritual… then no wonder events escalated so quickly. A sick feeling formed in the pit of his stomach as Kaito started to piece together what happened that day.  "When my soul moves beyond, my body is completely defenseless.  The further I go, the more I rely on others to act as anchors for it.  The Elders and Meiko would sing for me while I was there so I could still find my way back to my body when I was done.  It was…"

Briefly, he recalled the time he’d almost snapped and lost his soul after a particularly grueling vigil.  "… sometimes life-threatening."

Gakupo’s face broke into anguish as he seemed to understand how critical his mistake was.  "I… I almost killed you…" he murmured.

"… you didn’t know."  Kaito took a breath.  "You were never meant to know."

Kaito realized he should be angrier with Gakupo’s recklessness, but he only saw the intent of his actions.  He’d so worried the warrior that he’d given up _everything_ to save him.  Another person hurt because of him.  It seemed as though everyone around him saw him as too weak to defend himself.

Luka clutched her warrior’s hand as if to try and reassure him.  "Kaito…I’d no idea the Spirit Caller risked themselves so… even we priests were never told."

"…the rituals were intended to stay secret.  I… I kept their silence.  Even… even when…"

Kaito hated seeing Gakupo feeling so ashamed of trying to help him when he’d committed a grave sin of his own.  "…If… If I attacked you with Noise… it was because of how deep I’d flown to find the ancestors…"

Kaito clenched his fists.  "…because the ancestors disappeared over six months ago."

Gakupo’s face quickly shifted from shame to anger.  "Kaito, the Elders made proclamations in your name!  You made several of them _yourself!  Do you mean to say the Seruva were taking orders from imposters?!_ "

Kaito felt shame of his own for having kept such a secret, but he had little words.  "… For the good of the Seruva?" Gakupo asked.  He heard the anger fading from his melody.

A silent nod was all Kaito felt comfortable granting.  To learn that so much of his life and purpose was a lie… to see what he'd truly been complicit in… Gakupo believed himself wicked for trying to kidnap him, but Kaito had been aiding in deceiving him as well.  And for all of that, the both of them saw themselves turned into tools…

"The Elders kept sending me deeper and deeper beyond the veil.  So far I thought I'd lose my spirit… and the truth is, that deep beyond the veil, I used to fend off Dark Notes."

He looked to Gakupo apologetically.  "If I attacked you with Noise… then… maybe the Noise tried to inhabit my body while my spirit was lost… and that’s why I attacked you and can’t remember it."

It was the only explanation that made any sense given what they knew about Noise so far.  Kaito didn’t want to voice his fear, but he wondered if Gakupo’s condition grew so severe because he himself imbued the surprised warrior with the corrupting dissonance in the first place.  To think that even _he_ could be twisted so easily… and that _he_ had so deeply wounded his best friend…

"…why take those risks, Kaito?" Gakupo asked quietly, "You knew there was Noise but you dove into it… what did the Elders need so desperately to risk you like that when it was simpler to perpetuate a lie and not risk your life?"

"…I did it because we needed the power of Sujata Hama.  I had to try and find the ancestors because only _they_ knew the hymn."

"Soo-jahta… what?" Miku asked, trying to sound out the odd words.

Kaito realized that once more his dialog was going over the heads of his human friends.  Rin and Len looked completely confused.  Gumi had yet to look up from her computer, still typing like mad.

"Kaito… it’s probably best if I handle this…" Luka offered, "It’s a history lesson for the rest of them, after all."

She stepped forward and her voice took on the serious tones of a priest delivering a sermon…

_The Seruva once lived in isolation on Earth.  When they made contact with humanity for the first time, only peace followed and the two species prospered at each other’s side._

_Inevitably, a rift opened between them that grew into a devastating war.  At first it appeared the Seruva would be victorious due to their magic, but humanity proved far more resourceful and eventually drove them back, wiping out many and enslaving others.  Finally we were driven back to a small cluster of islands, where we tried to make our stand._

_In our most desperate hour, every Seruva prayed as one, a ballad to the heavens themselves begging for our salvation.  And in this hour, the first Spirit Caller was born – and she summoned the great white guardian, Sujata Hama.  Using its powerful wings and eternal song, it lifted the last of our lands far into the sky, hiding them from humanity and forever separating the two races between Earth and Sky._

_In Sujata Hama’s wake, the devilish black guardian, Sujata Raka, swept across the Earth and destroyed every human who ever wronged the Seruva before it was struck from the sky by the sacrifice of the Spirit Caller._

_We remember the Spirit Caller’s miracle, but also the evil that tried to destroy it.  The glory of Sujata Hama lies in our eternal safety, and the sorrow of Sujata Raka in the endless dark melody of Noise._

 

"Wow… Luka… I felt like I was back in services all over again…"

Kaito saw pride spread over Luka’s face.  "I was in training to start handling sermons before my Severing…"

"Wait, wait, wait…" Len interrupted, "There’s no historical record of a bunch of humans getting blown up by a giant bird.  Or even of a bunch of birdmen!"

"Well… when you think about it…"

Rin was looking up in deep thought.  "We don’t know about Seruva but… every single culture has a legend about people with wings.  Angels, tengu, harpies… and some of them even have legends about really STRONG winged gods like Garuda or Horus…"

She giggled as if she’d solved a particularly difficult puzzle.  "Maybe all these stories and legends are really about Seruva and stuff!"

"… I think the Hearts believe in it."

All eyes fell to Gumi, who’d not stopped fiddling with her laptop until this moment.  "A lot of stuff never quite added up to me about those clowns.  But come on, even the city… ‘Tsubasa’ City?  And they’re so obsessed with snatching up more Seruva?  They always came off as kind of desperate… they knew they were searching for something powerful, they just didn’t know how to sort through a whole bunch of stories and figure out what they really needed!"

She looked to Kaito with a grave expression.  Seeing even Gumi so serious drove her point home.  "Look, my pal Finch ain’t spilled the beans on whether he knows about you.  And I haven’t asked either because I don’t want him thinking I know where you are.  But I just know the Hearts are behind what happened to you.  Somehow, Mirror Corp. snatched you and tortured you trying to rip every secret out of your head…"

She looked to the now empty field, but her eyes rested where Kaito had closed the rift.  "Because they’re the kind of people that get scared knowing there’s something big out there they don’t control."

"… I knew it…" Len whispered.  He seemed to fill with rage as he repeated it.  "I KNEW it!  I knew somehow, we were going to find them at the center of all this!"

"Len…" Rin wanted him to calm down.

"Don’t you get it, Rin!?  All those crazy tests and recording sessions and being such control freaks… maybe… maybe they did something to us too!"

Kaito no longer heard only anger in Len’s voice – but also a familiar fear.  He had a great power, a miraculous ability, yet he feared others using him.  "What if they hurt Oliver?!  What if they… what if they killed him!?  How long before they grab us and tear us apart too and-"

A crack filled the air as Rin slapped her brother.  Len stopped speaking, holding his face where her hand imprinted.  From the tears in her eyes, Kaito knew she was just as scared as Len was.

"Rin, Len…" Miku said calmly, "Don’t worry.  That’ll never happen because none of us would ever let them hurt you."

Len nodded, still rubbing his cheek.  "…sorry Rin…" he mumbled.

"Miku’s right…" Gakupo said softly, "You have… two big brothers… who would never let them lay a finger on you, Rin-chan."

‘Two big brothers… for how long?’

Something about the conversation made Kaito’s nausea rise. He began to break away from the circle.  "Kaito?  Kaito, where are you going!?"

As his emotions swirled, he found he couldn’t answer Miku.  He only wanted to run…

 

Miku watched Kaito disappear into the trees.  She surveyed her friends.  Gakupo was uncharacteristically depressed, Luka drawing him into an embrace as she tried to soothe him.  And no doubt she wanted some reassurance of her own that he wouldn’t disappear on her again.

Len was trying to comfort his sister Rin as she cried, mumbling some words between breaths that Miku couldn’t quite make out.  Gumi was back fumbling with her laptop… not unexpected.

"I’ll make sure he’s okay!" Miku volunteered, turning to pursue Kaito through the woods. What if that horrible Meiko woman grabbed him when he was alone?!  Did he care so little for his own life?!

It wasn’t long before she found Kaito.  She thought she heard him talking… to himself? As she drew closer, he continued speaking.  "What do you mean you don’t know!? I… can’t I at least know how long I have left?!"

"Kaito, is someone there?"

Kaito turned to Miku in surprise.  Clearly he hadn’t intended for her to hear it.  "M…Miku… I…"

His health seemed so poor… was he really just sick from worry and the exertion of trying to save Gakupo?  As she approached him, she watched him try to strike the fear from his face of some threat she’d yet to uncover.

"Kaito, what’s happening to you?  It’s not just the Seruva or Mirror anymore, is it?"

Kaito’s eyes turned downward.  Before Miku could ask another question, he reached out and drew her close to him.  She could feel the desperation in his embrace, the way he possessively clutched her body and the back of her head.

"Kaito…why… why does this feel like the last time I’m going to hold you?"

He refused to answer.  "Miku… right now… I just wish I’d been born a normal human boy."

He pulled her closer, slumping as he pressed Miku’s head into his shoulder.  "We could have a peaceful life… we could sing together all we wanted… and we’d never be torn apart… nobody would ever get hurt because of me again…"

Miku pushed Kaito back, her face growing stern.  "What is really happening to you!?"

He was so sad, but from how strange he was behaving, she knew he was keeping a secret from her.  Did it have anything to do with what he was asking Meiko about?  Before she could force it out of him, she heard Gumi’s voice.  "Blue, Pigtails!  Doubles’s looking for you, says it’s like super important!"

Kaito started to pull away, but Miku gripped his shoulders.  "No, you are going to tell me right now. You… you don’t even care what happens to you if you think you’re giving yourself up for someone else, do you!?"

Why was she so angry with him all of a sudden!?  He was clearly hurting but… didn’t her feelings matter too!?  "Don’t I have the right to know what’s happening!?  Kaito… I…"

Gumi burst out of the trees.  "Oh good, there you are… uhhh… wait, this looks important."

She observed Miku and Kaito slipping apart.  "It’s… it’s fine, Gumi…" Kaito said.

 

As Kaito returned to the clearing where his friends awaited him, he tried to ignore the presence of the Heralds walking with him.  The frightened look on Luka’s face stopped him cold.  "Kaito… it’s another Herald…" she said, her voice shaking, "It’s… it’s…"

Gumi slipped a phone into his hand and Kaito felt his heart stop.  Even with the terrible quality of the photograph… he knew who this woman was.

"The Noise is a cruel murderer," Miriam whispered.

It was baiting him.  It already knew he wouldn’t allow a Herald to fly free and hurt others… but… to fight her… to fight…

"…my mother."

Nobody seemed to know what to say as Kaito tried to process everything.  He handed the phone back to Gumi.  "How long ago was this?"

"Probably about… four hours?  So what’s the deal?  Why is your mother a Herald?"

Luka looked at Kaito with suspicion.  Did she know?  Was she about to figure it out?  Everyone stared at him so strangely... "Kaito, you kept demanding answers from Meiko about the Seal.  She said you faced ‘oblivion.’"

He turned to Len, who he’d never seen so serious.  "You’re acting weird again. We… we were going to ask you about it before everything went all crazy…"

Rin held her brother’s hand tightly.  "Kaito-niisan… are you sick?  Are you gonna be okay?"

For a moment, he thought of trying to tell them the truth.  That maybe somehow they’d divine a solution to his seemingly inevitable fate.  But… that was why the Noise chose his mother.  To force him to fight.  To force him to die.

Of course Gakupo would zero in on what he hoped nobody would say.  "Your every action suggests a man who believes he’s going to his death."

He saw no way out for himself… ‘What am I supposed to do!?’ he thought to himself, ‘If my mother is a Herald then… is that what’s going to happen to me?!’

But the thought of leaving his mother to her fate… if he couldn’t save himself, he could die for her. 

"Kaito… I promised to protect you."

He turned to Miku and saw the dampness in her eyes.  "I can’t protect you if you won’t protect yourself."

They were behind Miku, four invisible figures that determined Kaito’s oncoming fate.  He forced a smile for his beloved.

"… I promise.  When we rescue my mother, I’ll tell you all the truth.  Right now, I just want to focus on her."

He controlled every note in his voice to mask his deception.  He turned to Luka and Gakupo and they seemed to nod their consent.  He’d managed to even fool them.

"Gakupo… please… come with us and help me lay my mother’s spirit to rest."

Gakupo looked at him with surprise.  "You forgive me already?"

"There’s nothing to forgive.  I trust you."

Finally Gakupo’s demeanor seemed to improve as he rested his hand upon his sword.  No doubt he was already strategizing the next fight.

‘I know you’ll take care of everything when I’m gone…’

 

Getting into the Yatagarasu Auditorium turned out to be surprisingly easier than Luka thought.  Given the high profile disappearance the Herald had conjured up, naturally the police secured the entire area for several blocks.

Thank goodness they had Gumi. 

She’d already retreated to her current base of operations, hacking into police radios and playing old voice recordings to lead the poor Tsubasa City police force on a wild goose chase.  Though Gumi’s ability to cause chaos should have worried her far more, Luka knew this operation would require delicate timing to make sure they defeated the Herald quickly.  The human police were frankly safer running laps around the block than they were fighting the Herald.

She looked to Kaito, who had become distressingly calm after his proclamation in the forest.  Being forced to fight his mother… Luka’s mind had already begun to question if somehow the other Heralds she fought had died as the former Spirit Caller had.  But what was the common link?  Yuma appeared to be a warrior, but she knew nothing about the other four.  Was the Noise simply reanimating the most dangerous people it had devoured?

‘But that would mean Lady Prima was devoured by the Noise…’

The six crossed into the theater and immediately Luka felt the waves of Dark Notes.  Strangely, instead of trying to amplify an emotion, these felt as though they wished to draw it away from her.  She quickly looked to Gakupo, searching for any signs of him reacting to it.  "I feel… nothing…" he spoke, sounding surprised, "The only melody I hear is this melody of stillness…"

She heard Kaito’s voice and felt the healing waves of the ballad of purification, restoring the feelings in her heart.  "The box is on the stage somewhere… maybe underneath it?"

"We got it, Kaito-niisan!" Rin chirped, taking off with Len in hot pursuit.

Luka continued to scan the auditorium, concerned she hadn’t seen any sign of Prima yet.  She already loathed what the Noise had twisted her beloved into, now to see even the former Spirit Caller, the woman she’d treated as her second mother, turned to such evil as well?

Miku perked up, spinning around the seats as though she heard something.  "Sempai… listen… it’s like… a choir?"

Luka’s eyes turned through the theater.  "I… I don’t hear anything…" she said.

"It’s… it’s so… pretty…"

The lights flickered off… and upon rising Miku had vanished.

"MIKU!"

"Come out you big mean Herald!  Stop singing like that!" Rin shouted.

"Where’s it coming from?!"

Again the theater turned dark… only for two more of the Vocaloids to disappear, leaving only herself, Gakupo, and Kaito.

"Come out, you wretched creature!" Gakupo shouted, drawing his sword.

Kaito looked panicked.  "Where is she?!  Why can’t we see her!?"

Before she could answer, she heard it.  Growing closer and stronger.  A familiar voice performing a Latin prayer… "I hear the melody…"

"I… I hear it too…" Gakupo whispered.

" _In hora, hora mortis nostrae…"_

Her emotions deadened so she didn’t even notice it coming for her…

This time when the lights rose, Kaito was entirely isolated.  "This fight is ours alone, Spirit Caller."

Slowly he turned to face the stage.  His mother, Prima, stood at a microphone, smiling politely at him in human clothing.  "What did you do to them?!"

The soprano didn’t even shift her expression.  "I entrapped them within a song of omens."

Prima drew a dagger from the folds of her dress.  "Since you are to die tonight… I wished to fight you and only you.  I wanted to know which of us is truly the better."

His friends lives were now at stake along with his.  He couldn’t run or he’d doom them as well.

Kaito banished all fears from his heart.  The Noise was preying on him, and now it was holding those precious to him hostage.  If he slipped up, they would die together.

Strangely, knowing he had the power to save them gave him courage in his most dire hour.

Kaito heard Prima’s second voice, performing a twisted, operatic melody in the old tongues.  And finally… he heard the choir.  He tried to focus his own internal melody to better pinpoint his real target. ‘The box is under the stage somewhere… I need to break that first…’

White ghostly beings formed all around him, shrieking in unholy terror.  Kaito stared them down – they were his only obstacle right now.

He’d never used so much magic in his life.  He opened with a force melody and then the air filled with light arrows as he carved himself a path forward to the stage.  He began to run through the theater, closing distance with the stage as he continued to fire upon as many of his foes as he could.

He felt himself yanked back by the neck when he realized one of the spectral beings held his scarf.  He quickly pulled the garment free of his neck, allowing the ghost to keep it.  As he neared the stage and his mother, he stopped his hail of arrows and crafted another shield, holding his arm out to wield it like a battering ram.  The ghosts impacted upon it as he leapt upon the wooden stage.

Immediately, Kaito felt the stronger melody of the Noise Generator trying to stop his emotions entirely, but he had far too much conviction in his actions to allow it to claim him.  Quickly Kaito turned and released several volleys of arrows, trying to disperse as many of the spirits as he could.  As he jumped out of the way of the remaining ghosts, he stumbled as part of the stage seemed to give underneath him. He glanced down and saw the wood covering… a trap door, from which the Dark Notes drifted outside of.

Before Kaito could react, he felt several strong arms grabbing him and dragging him away.  Kaito writhed around trying to free himself, but he couldn’t free himself from so many of them at one time.  Only now did Prima finally move towards her son, her dagger exposed as the spirits held Kaito fast.  "And so… the cycle finally ends…"

As she approached him with her knife ready to plunge into his heart, Kaito took a chance on the generator’s location and cast his force melody, trying to project a wave of sound directly at the flat boards.  His spell forced the mechanism downward and he heard a crunching noise at the bottom.

The Dark Notes vanished around him and Prima dropped her knife, trembling.  The spirits gripping Kaito blew apart, their source apparently vanishing with them.  While Kaito knew what he was about to do and what it would do to him… he felt no more fear.

He couldn’t change his fate.  His death was immutable.  He desired it not, but he’d accepted it.  At least his death meant something – others would _live._

Prima’s face looked so… sad.  She clearly possessed so much power but… she had as much will to fight as Kaito did.  Somehow… somehow the true Prima had some control of herself even as the Noise animated her body.

Kaito performed his final ballad.  As the notes swarmed around his mother… she began to cry.  "Kaito… I couldn’t save you… I couldn’t prevent it…"

The lights flickered as his friends reappeared.  "Kaito?"

"Lady Prima!?"

As her black wings brightened to a pure white, she turned to Luka.  "I’m… I’m sorry… you were hurt… by my follies…"

Kaito tried to keep his emotions in check as the Herald rambled… he refused to interrupt her.  "The Seal… will take you… You… will die… I’m… I’m sorry I couldn’t spare my only child this horrible fate…"

She stumbled and Kaito rushed forward to catch her, still refusing to end his ballad.  As she began to disappear into light, he tried to hang on to her as long as he could.  "I won’t give up on you… somehow… I must… find a way… Kaito…"

As the last traces of the Herald vanished, Kaito turned to his friends one last time.  "Kaito... what did she mean?!  Why are you going to die?!"

He tried to keep a brave face for his beloved Miku.  For all of them.  After all, he’d saved them… that was all he needed to know when…

He heard it. 

The screeching, pounding, banging force. 

Kaito looked around wildly – he saw nothing but it was in here with him.  It was reaching for him. As he felt the Noise grab hold of his spirit and tear it away from his body, he finally realized what he was up against and how little chance he had…

…but he vowed to fight it…

 

Without a word, Miku quickly cleared the distance between herself and the stage. 

She almost beat Gakupo in spite of his winged advantage. 

The Seruva had Kaito clutched tight, as if in disbelief as to what they’d seen.  She knelt down next to Gakupo, trying to get a good look at her lover.  Kaito’s eyes stared straight ahead, moving rapidly, but not appearing to see anything in the room with him.  "Kaito, please, speak!" he shouted.

Kaito attempted to speak, but it was hard to call the distonal sounds and nonsense tumbling out of his mouth "words."  From how disoriented he looked, he might not have been addressing anyone at all.  "Kaito… you can’t be… was this what you were hiding?"

The Kagamines leapt onto the stage to join them, Rin grabbing Kaito’s discarded scarf along the way.  "Kaito-niisan!" Rin pleaded, "What’s happening to him?!"

"… he’s dying."

Luka, the only one that had yet to climb the stage.  Her arms were to her side, her head lowered, but her tears were obvious.  "I… I failed him… the Seal, I was supposed to stop them… this must be why…"

Her voice wavered. "Lady Prima died… exactly like this.  It was painful… and it was incurable."

She finally dared to look to Kaito.  "I’m so sorry… we… we can’t save him…"

As Kaito’s body began to convulse, Miku and Gakupo tried to keep him steady.  Whatever had happened… wherever he was… he was beyond their reach.

Incurabe. Beyond saving.  ‘No… I was supposed to protect you, Kaito!  You were supposed to trust me!’

Rin knelt down, crying into Kaito’s discarded scarf.  Len bent down and hugged her, trying to whisper comfort to her.

Miku grasped Kaito’s hand.  ‘You lied to us… you knew this was going to happen and…’

As the lights flickered one last time, the auditorium suddenly filled with hundreds of missing people.  The stage now had other people on it.  At any other time, Miku would have been beyond herself with glee to be approached by none other than the famous Diva Kasane Teto.  "Where’d that lady go?" she asked, "And how’d you guys get here?"

She let out a gasp as she took one look at Gakupo, who hadn’t even made a token attempt to conceal his wings as he held Kaito.  In his shining samurai costume, he practically glowed like a divine being, yet he seemed barely aware of anything else happening around him.  "Are… are you an angel?  Did you save us?"

He didn’t even look away from Kaito to address the twin-drilled pop star.  "This man saved all of you…"

 

Gumi nibbled on a carrot as she conversed with her "mole."  She’d been out of contact with her allies for hours, but she figured that was normal.  They knew what they were doing, and while they did their "superhero stuff", she would dig deeper into her sources.  Her TV blared in the background as she kept an ear on the news.

Mirror had been her pet cause for at least a year, and for good reason.  Nobody that size, with that much power, was gathering it for innocent reasons.  And her hunches about bird people had been dead on so far – hunting down the "mystery squad" had gotten her paydirt so far.  She yearned to spread the truth online, but she’d already seen how quickly Mirror could obliterate them when they were prepared.  Even as much as she trusted Finch, she kept their identities a secret.

[JimmyFinch: Anomaly site C was a Mirror research hub. They’re scrambling with it gone.  Cameras went down about an hour before it disappeared.]

[16BitCaRR0T: no way!!!11!! was it mystery squad again?]

[JimmyFinch: it had to be.  Hearts are losing it.  Might already be compromised.  I set up a deadman’s drop if they cross me.   Watch for it.  Probably within 48 hours.]

[16BitCaRR0T: aww, you sure know how to make a girl feel special ~_^]

[JimmyFinch: Mirror is not the only danger.  You need to see this.]

 

As she downloaded the files, she glanced up at her TV and nearly dropped her carrots as she spied Gakupo, Kaito, and Miku on the stage with Teto on shaky cell camera video.  "AHHH!  Nasu-san, you’re famous!" she shouted.

She watched the footage with her mouth open, trying to make out what was happening.  The Seruva spread his white wings and dove from the stage, clutching Kaito in his arms and making a huge production of his exit.  "Ah… so the rest of them can get out…" she murmured, as the camera turned back to the stage to reveal Miku, Luka, and the twins were gone. 

"Hee hee… hell of an exit for Blue… can’t wait to hear the story behind that!"

As if in answer to her observation, the door to her super ultra secret base opened.  She swiveled around her chair, a broad smile on her face.  "Have fun storming the concert hall?  You got me Teto’s autograph, right?"

"Mystery Squad" had all the cheer of a funeral… Gakupo laid Kaito down gently on one of the many air mattresses.  "Ah, Nasu-san!  What's wrong with Blue?!"

His eyes were glassy like a doll’s, his breathing erratic.  Every few moments he would mumble, but all that emerged reminded Gumi of white noise and static…  "You're gonna fix him, right?!"

She looked from person to person, waiting for one of them to answer.  Rin sobbed quietly, carefully laying Kaito’s scarf next to him.  Miku knelt at Kaito’s side, gripping his hand as if this moment were the last.  "Well!?"

Gumi leaned over Kaito, trying to scrutinize him for any signs of life.  "So what do you guys need to do this time?  Like, what’s the song?  Or you gotta go beat someone up this time?  If you need some Mirror tech…"

"Gumi!  Don’t you understand?!  He’s DYING! I… we can’t…"

Miku couldn’t even finish before collapsing over Kaito’s body, burying her head in his chest.  So she was going to be useless.  She turned to Luka.  "Doubles, you gonna fill me in or what?"

Gakupo looked about ready to snap when Luka grasped his shoulder and the anger vanished from his face.  "Gumi… we don’t entirely know what is happening to Kaito… or why.  All we know is…"

She stared at Kaito.  "His condition won’t improve.  He has… days at most… days of seizures, hallucinations, and if his mother’s cries were any indication… unbearable pain…"

For a few moments, only the sounds of Miku and Rin crying could be heard, accompanied by Kaito’s occasional bizarre mumblings.

"So?"

If she hadn’t already seen what Gakupo looked like when he wanted to kill someone, his explosion of rage might have been scarier.  "Do you care nothing for the suffering of other people as long as you gain something out of it?!"

Gumi let out a derisive snort.  ‘Nasu-san’ could sure be thick.  "I’m just trying to figure out what the crap happened to you guys out there."

She held up her hands in a shrug, shaking her head from side to side.  "First time I met Blue, I really thought he was gonna die, right on the bike, and I’ve have to pump Pigtails for the deets on how it happened."

She looked to Kaito and watched him trembling, unaware of anything around him.  "I’ve seen him way worse than that."

Looking to Luka, she chuckled.  "Doubles, I was really flipping out over you, I saw Nasu-san put a sword right through you!"

As expected, the reminder of his actions had deflated some of Gakupo’s rage.  "And speaking of Nasu-san? Well, I mean, you ripped open a hole in _reality_ while screaming about being a death god or whatever.  I was pretty sure that was the end of you."

Gumi rubbed a finger under her nose.  "’Cept it’s kinda weird, but you all made it through that crap.  Pigtails, you’ve been sticking to Blue like glue since you met him, haven’t ya?  And he was fine in like, a day?"

Miku raised her head enough and looked to Gumi, her eyes red and puffy.  She slowly nodded her head to Gumi.  "And hell, it was your idea to pull that stunt with Shortstuff over here!  Like a gaping chest wound was gonna stop you?!  But Doubles pulled through!"

Gumi glanced to Luka, who was holding her chest right where her seemingly fatal wound no longer existed.  Gumi flipped her hair as she returned her gaze to Miku.  "And gee, who was it that wanted to search every Noise Generator in Tsubasa City, not giving two craps if a crazy tengu could pop up and rip you limb from limb!?"

Adjusting her goggles on top of her head, Gumi sewed together her patchwork argument.  "Every time something awful happens, you guys just run in without a plan and go ‘Eh, it’ll work out!’  And the crazy thing is every time it works!"

She looked from person to person, wondering when they were finally going to come to her way of thinking.  What was WRONG with them anyway!?  "But… sempai said… it’s incurable…" Miku said.

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Gumi thought she was going to lose her mind – how could they be so impossibly stupid!?  So blind!?  Did they only charge into action when they had absolutely no idea what was going on!?  Thank goodness they had her genius to lead them back to the correct course.

"Hey, Doubles!  WHY do you think Blue’s totally 100% gonna die?!"

In anger, Gumi stomped her foot.  "WHO told you that!?"

She’d really had more faith in Luka to not need things spelled out for her…

 

Luka’s mind flashed back to the day she’d been told.  The kind older men took her, Kaito, and Meiko aside, leaving Prima to herself during a rare quiet spell.  Once they were isolated… the three of them were delivered the news.

"Lady Prima will die in days.  Our healers cannot save her.  She may have received her affliction from an evil spirit…"

Kaito shrank back.  "The spirits can… kill?!"

A solemn response.  "All Spirit Callers must take this risk… for the good of the Seruva."

"I refuse to believe that!" Meiko shouted, to Luka’s surprise.

Meiko and Luka turned to the horrified Kaito, trying to grapple with both the awful news of his mother’s demise and the sudden burden of taking on her duties.  "We’ll find another way, Kaito, okay?!" Meiko said, giving him a cheerful smile.

"There **is** no other way."

The man’s voice was stern, with notes of anger.  Luka felt fearful – Meiko had just yelled at an Elder.  "Meiko, you may not understand, but the Spirit Callers are the center of our tribe.  To ask them to cease their role in being a part of us… is to ask every man, woman, and child to wander in darkness!"

"M…mother…" Kaito whispered.

Meiko tried to maintain a smile on her face.  "Don’t worry Kaito… Luka and I will always be at your side.  We’ll protect you from all the evil spirits, okay?"

‘For the good of the Seruva.’

She had taken the proclamation at face value, as though she had some serious affliction or disease but… what if… ‘for the good of the Seruva’ referred to not the risk itself…

… but the affliction?

"It’s another lie.  _They_ did this to Kaito… and _they_ know how to bring him back."

 

Just another way to hurt Kaito… another way to use him… "Do the Seruva value innocent lives so little!?" Miku shouted.

"… I somehow doubt the Seruva as a whole would stand for this," Gakupo intoned, "Just another layer of control.  To the Elders… the war never ended.  For most of the Seruva, in fact.  We’ve grown so cold but…"

He ran a hand along the hilt of his sword.  "The Seruva would not stand for their most holy figure being treated like this."

"Maybe Meiko knows something?!" Miku suggested.

Anything… anything to save Kaito.

"Hmph… just what I was thinking…" Gakupo said, a small chuckle escaping as his confidence returned, "Meiko called me the ‘vanguard’, did she not?  It’s doubtful she would have chased me this far if she didn’t intend to have me join a larger force."

Gumi began to laugh maniacally.  "So… you FINALLY get it!"

She turned on a television sized monitor… upon which she’d loaded multiple photos of black-winged Seruva, all with the same types of markings and bird-like features Gakupo possessed.  Behind them… Meiko.  "These were taken in the last few hours, guys."

Miku saw Gakupo grip the hilt of his sword.  "So… it would appear Meiko is still here… then it becomes merely a game of locating her and forcing her to talk."

Luka’s face had grown more serious.  "Indeed… if we speak to her correctly, she may divulge the truth… we could appeal to her emotions…"

"Pffft, like that crazy woman has emotions?!" Len huffed.

"…regardless, we’ll come up with a way to get some answers.  Even a clue on how to save Kaito."

Rin bolted to her feet. "Gumi, you know a lot about Mirror, right?!"

Gumi let out a proud laugh.  "Pffft, I ain’t even scratched the surface of em!"

"Then… Len and I will do everything we can to help you find out anything about them!  Maybe our parents learned something that can help Kaito!"

Miku had never seen Rin so fired up.  "Yea, maybe we can help you break into our old house!" Len suggested, "Our parents might have some stuff you can use!"

"Sheesh, where was that spirit when I FIRST met you!" Gumi grumbled, waving her hands, "Well, fine, I have no choice but to accept your SUDDEN generosity!"

As Miku looked to her friends, all energized with plans to try and save Kaito... "So… so what’s my part?"

Luka gave her a reassuring smile.  "Miku, you need to stay with Kaito," she explained, "I had to help care for his mother… he’s not always going to be this peaceful."

Miku looked down at his face, and it broke her heart to see him in so much pain.  She remembered him thrashing around at the theater not long after he collapsed… would that only get worse?

"It will help him immensely to have someone with him that will protect him."

 "Yea Miku!" Len said, "Come on, you’re the one that took care of Kaito since the start!  You can see him through this!"

Rin put her hands on her cheeks.  "It’s so romantic!  The love-struck human girl always defending her fallen angel!"

Gakupo coughed.  "Rin-chan… we’re not _angels_ …"

Hearing everyone so hopeful… in spite of the long odds… Miku tried to let their courage feed hers as well.  "Right… I’ll be here, no matter what he needs!"

She tried to force a smile.  "And you guys will just up and tell me whatever I need to save him, right?!"

This time when Miku looked at Kaito’s face… she felt determination burning in her heart.

‘Kaito… wherever you really are… whatever happened to you… we’re going to fix it.  No matter what we have to do… it’s not going to end like this…’

 

Oliver’s face remained an emotional blank as he video conferenced across his laptop.  Of course they’d never let him out of his little prison to speak to them – that would require acknowledging him as a _person_.

Naturally, Leon and Lola appeared as blank squares – they’d never allow their faces to be seen if they could help it.

Dr. Flower didn’t have that concern, her bored face apparent under her frazzled white and black hair loosely cobbled together into a ponytail.  And Oliver suspected Mayu just liked being the center of attention, her gold eyes gleaming as she twirled her blonde hair.

Leon’s commanding voice rang out.  "Total casualties of Anomaly Site C?"

"Two 22-man Anti-Seruva squads," Oliver repeated, "I told you not to deploy until we knew more about him.  We didn’t even find the _bodies_."

Mayu began to laugh.  "That isn’t surprising," Flower responded, "Anomaly Site C took out our first team of researchers when it first opened a year ago.  With a fully powered Seruva manipulating it, they didn’t stand a chance."

"But now we don’t have access to that rift any longer," Lola scolded, "That compromises our Noise research."

Flowers emotionless expression didn’t even shift.  "We’ve more than made up with it thanks to Subject H1."

"…it almost killed Al and Ann.  Be grateful for it," Oliver said sharply.

Another wretched giggle from Mayu.  "Oh, the little birdy’s been such an eye opener!  The installation of Flower’s Mesmeratic Override system was a complete success!"

She let out a dreamy sigh.  "As long as she has a Noise generator in range, she can do anything we need her to do."

Oliver tried not to think about what they wanted the Herald to do.  He tried to hold every one of his emotions back.  "Good.  Once Big Al and Sweet Ann are repaired, we should deploy the three of them," he said coldly, "We know they can handle her if she gets out of hand.  And they’ll be ready to support if what’s left of ‘Mystery Squad’ moves in."

He was about to say one more thing when he felt the lack of blood flow.  He grasped at his chest as it tightened, trying not to give anything away until the coughing fit did it for him.  The conversation fell silent until he felt his blood flow return to normal.

"Schedule Oliver for the day after tomorrow.  We’ll have the resources by then."

His father’s voice carried all the emotion of a man talking about taking a car for a tune up.  "Thank you," the boy choked out.

As the chat conference went dark, he knew what his parents really wanted him to do.  Kill or capture every person working against them.  By now he knew that meant his siblings.  Somehow… Rin and Len were going to be found out.

If the Seruva didn’t kill them first.

[16bitCaRR0T: going dark for 12 hours, top secret mission.]  
[16bitCaRR0T: watching for drop. Stay safe.]

He took a deep breath as he typed out his simple response.

[JimmyFinch: Earth is at war.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the emotional roller coaster. If it’s not obvious, we’re plowing into the final big story arc for the series, and I’m both nervous and excited because pretty much since Chapter 11 on it’s nothing but paying off all those mysteries.
> 
> Since I knew this would be my last chapter with any "light" elements, I went all out on the Kasane Teto concert.  I’ve actually been to a Vocaloid show, so I tried to mirror how one of those concerts goes – sans holograms obviously!  I couldn’t resist both depicting Teto rising from the floor as Miku always does… and using that as a plot point. Some of the Vipperloids are in her backing band, specifically Namine Ritsu, Sukone Tei, and Yokune Ruko.
> 
> I won’t lie… depicting Prima as Kaito’s mother was a total mothy reference.  Except unlike in the mothy-verse, Prima was a good mom to Kaito.  Still, picking a design for her wasn’t easy since there’s quite a few for her.  I chose to create one based on her box art, since I figured that was the closest to depicting a woman who could have given birth to a child who was 13 upon her death.  As for the knife… apparently knives are her character item.
> 
> Oliver's username was always meant to be a hint at his identity to more careful readers, but I knew if I called him by his full username everyone would get it at once ;)  So yes, technically his goldfinch James has appeared in the story!
> 
> Speaking of birds, the auditorium Teto performs at is named for the three-legged crow god "Yatagarasu."  Yatagarasu is associated with divine intervention, and shows up in a lot of Japanese media.  I also picked it because it is a crow… a carrion bird.
> 
>  **Song Credits:** Teto and the Vipperloids have no respect for the fourth wall and thus she performed "[Fukkireta](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwDrP_851BM)" (Mysterious Function) and mimicked the dance from the video by Lamaze-P.  I wanted a peppy Teto song so Prima’s super serious rendition of "Ave Maria" served as a stark contrast.  I rearranged the lyrics of "Ave Maria" to move away from the "Hail Marys" and into the prayers for dead souls because of course ;)  Crusher-P did in fact release a Prima cover of "[Ave Maria](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oPfF994NN8)", but only the first verse, which I did not use.


	14. Infinite Loop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s a race against time to try and rescue Kaito from his oncoming death. As Miku struggles to keep him steady as he suffers from wild hallucinations, Gakupo and Luka scour every inch of Tsubasa City on leads for Meiko to demand the truth from her. Meanwhile, Gumi and the Kagamines break into the children’s childhood home seeking answers about their adoptive parents’ misdeeds. Meanwhile, Mirror seems to be on the move…

He’d flown through the endless abyss of the veil so many times as a Spirit Caller.  Gliding in the space beyond death, eagerly seeking the words of those who came before him.  Ferrying their proclamations and advice back dutifully.

Now he felt the sensation of being dragged through it by dark tendrils, trying to fight back against the pounding, scraping, rasping force pulling him further and further.  The point of death was to rest, but how could he ever rest?  Had _they_ ever rested?  Did every one of those he’d fought suffer like this, dragged along and plunged into the abyss, only to be spat out as something new and different?

He tried to cling to everything he was as it tried to wrench him apart.  If he failed, he would truly become a menace…

For moments at a time he became aware that even as he was in the void fighting for the right to continue existing, someone was with him, trying to comfort him and promise him safety.  How desperately he wanted to reach out to that person and tell them he heard them, but the Noise poured down his throat, drowning out his voice…

 

Miku jumped as Kaito suddenly lurched forward off the air mattress, trying to crawl around on the floor.  “Kaito!?  Kaito, can you hear me!?”

Though Kaito's lips moved as if he spoke, nothing but the horrible static noises escaped his lips.  His eyes remained empty and unfocused.  Finally he fell to the floor, flailing his arms and legs, as if there were something he was trying to pull off of him.  At once, Miku was at his side, trying to restrain him before he hurt himself.  Finally the fit seemed to pass and his body fell limp.  She could still hear his panicked but clear breaths, giving her reassurance that no matter how he suffered… he still lived.

She seethed with anger as she tried to imagine who did this to him.  First Gakupo, now Kaito?!  Well, they'd certainly regret crossing her if they ever met…

Maybe she just wanted something to fight to deal with how powerless she felt right now.  She loved Kaito… but loving him wouldn't be nearly enough.

Once she was sure Kaito wasn't about to jump up at her, she carefully picked him up and lay him along the mattress again.  In Gumi's windowless “base”, it was hard to recall that daylight had long since risen.  No matter how badly Miku yearned for sleep, fear of drifting off only to lose Kaito as she slumbered consumed her.  Her friends weren't resting – so why should she?

 

Rin never thought she'd walk this road ever again.  She and Len had happily turned their backs on the Hearts and the sour memories of their childhood home years ago.  Secluded from most of the neighborhood, the modest house stood as a paradox to the personal wealth of its owners.  ‘It's not like they were ever really home though… it just needed to be enough for them to crash and… for their children to have a place to sleep…’

She never wanted to go back either.  The memories were too unpleasant.  But just the thought of losing another “big brother” drove her forward.  A little unpleasantness meant nothing as long as she could return her dear Kaito-niisan safe and sound.  As she and Len approached the wrought iron gates, she punched in the familiar code and crossed her fingers that they hadn’t changed it…

The gate trembled and separated, allowing the intruders access.  “Awww… I was hoping I could hack it!” Gumi whined.

“Focus on hacking their CCTV first,” Len said, “I mean they’ll probably _guess_ it’s us, but it wouldn’t be cool if they saw us using our powers and stuff.”

Rin was going to ransack her old house and find out anything she could.  As much as she feared learning the truth about herself in there… better than the awful thoughts she kept cooking up in her head.  And at least she had Len with her – she could always count on her brother.

“And your CCTV’s down.  I mean, if they’re smart they’ll know, so we better move fast but…”

Gumi looked beside herself with glee. “So many secrets in there!  Maybe they’ve got a dead alien or something!  Or a cybernetic dinosaur?!”

“I’m… I’m pretty sure anything they have in there is Seruva-related…” Rin said.

The emerald-haired blogger was lost in her own wild imaginings.  “Or maybe a death laser?!  Ahhh, I never thought I’d get this close this EASILY!”

At least _someone_ was happy.  “So where do we start?” Len asked.

A sly grin crossed Rin's face.  So many house rules she could break now…

“Anywhere the Hearts told us not to go, we start there.”

Len flashed her a knowing look.  “Oh we gotta hit the basement!  The recording studio!”

“And their bedrooms!  They had an office in there!”

“And the attic!”

The twins laughed with glee – being able to strike at the people who'd tormented them as children was going to be _fun.  “_ Len, I bet I can beat you to the attic!” Rin shouted as she darted off.

As the twins ran through the grass to the front steps, Gumi was left calling after them.  “Waiiiiiit!  Am I taking the bedroom or the basement?!”

 

“The entire city is built with a series of advanced shelters underneath, in case of natural disasters.”

Luka felt grateful she'd borrowed a ribbon off of Miku to tie her hair back – so much time spent airborne with Gakupo would have blown it apart. Not to mention how difficult it might have been to keep it out of his face.

As for the Seruva himself, he’d changed into his warrior robes – though Miku and Len had quickly grabbed plenty of other items of clothing for him before setting up in Gumi’s “pad”, Gakupo had remarked calmly that he saw no point in going to war in human clothes.  Though he still seemed sad to leave his ragged samurai clothes behind…

Now the two stood again atop the Kotori Broadcast Tower, the highest point in Tsubasa City.  She imagined they made quite the pair, Gakupo looking for all intents and purposes like a traditional Japanese warrior and Luka simply wearing the same white shirt and black pants she’d yet to take off since awakening the day before.

With so little time to locate Meiko and demand answers for Kaito, she needed to give Gakupo as much geographical information as possible.  After all, _he_ would be doing all the flying.  And _he_ was her best resource for how other Seruva might plan a military invasion.

“There’s little in the way of caverns.  There’s a few cliffside outlets, but they wouldn’t be easy to break into without blowing them open… and drawing a _great_ deal of attention.”

Luka gestured to some empty, raised plains in the distance.  “Those pictures Gumi found are from that area.  It’s not well populated – the developments out there ran out of money.  But there _are_ plenty of shelter entrances there…”

Gakupo stepped to the railing, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the plains.  “To enter without knowing their numbers would be like kicking up a hornet's nest… we’ll sweep the air first, maybe we can lure them up.  Otherwise… our time is so precious we may need to risk diving inside ourselves.  If they’re also using Noise, we’ll hear the dissonance eventually.”

The unspoken advantage Gakupo had, of course, was his recent possession and the knowledge it gave him.  The way they would behave and fight, how they were thinking… how little they truly controlled their own actions, their blind drive to obediently follow orders while the whims of the Noise tugged at what remained of their wills.

Were it up to Luka, he would _never_ have to relive that experience again.  She herself would spend the rest of her life haunted by the memory of his furious charge against her, those awful seconds when he couldn’t even see her and the feeling of the person she loved driving his blade through her chest…

“Luka?”

“I’m sorry… I was just… trying to sort out our next move…” she lied.

“Right.”

The way his notes hung in the air… of course he’d recognized her lie, she hadn’t even tried to cover it properly.  Even when he carried her through the sky, she’d felt not the intimacy of the past, but the divide.

He stared into the city quietly.  Luka assumed he was plotting a strategy of his own, ever the warrior.  But when he broke the silence, he'd chosen another subject entirely.

"How much of this evil did I unleash?"

Luka placed a hand to the familiar spot on her chest.  "I have the person I love… the freedom from the Noise… but deserve neither.  I brought destruction, yet received salvation."

He breathed deeply, still looking out at the vistas and not at Luka.  "Did I release the Heralds?  Did I destroy our home?  The Noise deprives me even know of the true knowledge of my actions…"

She couldn't imagine the amount of stress her warrior felt – days lost to the mindless "Harbinger", his botched attempt to overthrow the Elders, then being helpless to protect his charge?  But she needed him in top form.  She couldn’t confront Meiko alone… she needed to find some way to help him cope with the burdens upon his heart.

Luka approached Gakupo and embraced him.  At first he appeared surprised, but swiftly he returned the gesture.  His hold over her felt as strong as ever, but she detected a hint of fear in it.

"You tried to _fix_ this.  Just… just like I did."

As the pulled back and their eyes met, Luka felt as if he understood her.  Why she had so swiftly forgiven him.  Why no matter what her fears of the Noise, she believed in _him_.

"The Noise wielded me against that which I loved most…" he murmured, "It wanted me to kill you… it knew I wouldn't resist it anymore if I thought I'd destroyed the most precious person to me…"

He ran his hand along her face.  "The only reason I'm still fighting is because you refused to give up on me…"

 _Now_ he was starting to sound more like the Gakupo she knew.  "Gakupo… we all have things we regret.  I intend to make amends for my mistakes.  But I can't do it without you." 

She finally saw traces of a smile on his face again as he pulled her closer and kissed her deeply, dipping her head back and drawing her body tight.

It was with great reluctance that Luka released him, but he had his cocky warrior's grin back now.  “Onward!  To save Kaito.”

Gakupo scooped Luka up in his arms and took to the air again, the world rushing by underneath her.  Something about her warrior's grip on her felt so much more confident now…

 

Miku studied Kaito’s face looking for any signs of distress, but he stayed still.  Not peaceful – the static mumblings had yet to cease, and he was clearly suffering, but he was at least staying still.

As her mood dipped, she tried to buoy her spirits the best way she knew how.

Singing.

_“Fearing that the most precious person won't love me, I took off on a solo flight to the stars ten thousand years away…”_

 

As he was dragged deeper into the abyss beyond the veil, his fears only increased as he began to recognize how far he’d gone.  Meiko had forced him to go this deep, and deeper still, until his spirit nearly snapped.  With nothing anchoring him to reality, he realized this horrible place would never release him.  The entity of Noise wrapped around him howled in its atonal screeching, though the further into the abyss it drew him, the more he began to perceive the Noise as it truly was.  Thousands of destroyed souls bound into one, tormented to madness and trying to destroy everything around them.

He tried to reach out to anyone, shouting at the top of his lungs, hoping against hope someone could hear him and reach out to him, saving him from becoming just another one of those lost souls…

He thought he heard someone’s voice and tried desperately to cling to them…

 

Suddenly Kaito’s hand flew out and grasped Miku’s wrist, causing her song to cease from shock.  He looked so scared, his unfocused eyes staring forward but not recognizing the person in front of him.  She clutched his hand tightly. For just a brief second it seemed as though he saw her, that he was finally back… then all too suddenly “Kaito” was gone, leaving only the shell.

She refused to release his hand, even as his strength vanished and his fingers slipped from her wrist.  ‘I can’t let you go… what if you need me?  But… what if you’re already gone… what if…’

Miku slapped her cheek.

‘Positive!’

 

“Hey Rin?  You ever notice there’s no baby photos of us here?”

Len flipped through some old photo albums.

“Well we _were_ adopted…” Rin added.

That didn’t sound like a good enough answer.  Len studied the book, noticing plenty of Lola with her infant son Oliver.  She looked like a completely different person – she actually looked _happy_ to have a child in her arms.

“Didn’t they always tell us we were adopted as babies?” Len asked, “But they don’t even have photos of us from before we were like… six or so.”

Rin tore through another box of vital documents.  “You know, I haven’t even found our birth certificates!” she said, “They didn’t give them to us when we moved out either!”

Len _really_ didn’t want to think about why he didn’t have baby photos or a birth certificate.  He put the photo album back.  “I think this is a dud, Rin,” he said, “I mean, I guess we learned something, but we didn’t find anything to bring Kaito back either…”

Rin stood up, tossing the box away.  She looked like she was having as much fun as he was just trashing their old home.  Two children rebelling against the parents who never loved them.

“Basement’s next!” she cheered.

 

Gumi jammed her USB stick into a laptop next to the master bed.  Naturally she’d already cracked the password and learned she was going through Leon Heart’s files.  Nobody ever kept truly secure passwords – at least not anything Gumi couldn’t easily crack.  Not surprisingly, the Hearts were savvy with business, not with tech.

She downloaded as much information as she could – employee files, high ranking personnel.  Some of them she recognized immediately.  Some not so much, but if they had the right rank, she’d look them up later or run them by Finch.

Two former employees immediately caught her eye.  A man with brown and white hair and a woman with blond hair.  Truncated employee records “Frank Smith” and “Jody Doe”.

‘Big Sweet…’

Employment dates at almost the beginning Mirror’s founding, termination dates listed dates six years previous.  Scientists on Project Seraphim.

Gumi began flipping through her employee files and checking projects.  Seraphim.  Throne.  Dominion.  Virtue.

“Orders of angels…” she whispered, “They’ve been at this for _years_.”

She’d have to run some of these projects by Finch.  She logged deeper into the system.  Of course Leon Heart would have access to any of the projects he wanted, but each one had yet another password she needed to crack and with time growing short, she was stuck brute forcing them.

One of the scientists she _finally_ recognized – a Dr. V. Flower.  She’d briefly appeared on the news for a major technological breakthrough in using computer signals and hardware to control nerve impulses.  Then Mirror snapped her up… and now she had some of the obvious Seruva-related project names on her record.  Project Cherubim stood out – she immediately recognized several of the file photos, all depicting the Heart's deceased son.  She didn't have time to do more than skim – she could question the Kagamines later.

One name stood out without a single Seruva-like assignment at all.

Project Gemini.

Someone was _going_ to notice “Leon Heart” downloading a lot of files he should already be aware of… Gumi needed to grab only what was useful and bail… but she also had a sneaking suspicion she’d started to piece together why two otherwise disinterested parents adopted a pair of children.

 

The telltale dissonance played in Gakupo’s ear.  The first time he heard it he stopped cold – for just a brief moment, he feared the source was himself. “You can hear that melody, yes?” he asked Luka, trying to check his own sanity.

“Faintly,” she remarked, “You don’t think there’s another rift down here?”

“Possibly…”

He tried to recall what the Noise kept encouraging him to do, but his mind still felt fragmented from his harrowing experience.  All he could remember clearly was the will he had to tear the world asunder and use the rift to do so. 

He realized that without Kaito, there may not be a way to close the rift.

In that case, the Spirit Caller’s safety was not only of sentiment to himself and Luka… but tantamount to the safety of all life.

Finally he heard it – a Seruva battle cry, twisted and distonal.  “The Noise has alerted them… be prepared to fight…”

He drew Miburi and steeled himself as shadowy forms approached… at the lead a woman with waist length blonde hair and clad in robes similar to his own…

“Commander Lily?!” he shouted, recognizing her at once.

But her monstrous form and fury filled face as she shouted at him clearly showed the level-headed warrior was well out of presence. She was flanked by three more soldiers and he tried to steel himself as he recognized them as Wil, Yuu, and Kyo.

“Luka!  Don’t hold back!”

The Commander’s powerful dive cracked through Luka’s shield in an instant, but the lost momentum allowed him to parry her away.  He searched for any signs of sanity, but the red streaks on her face matched her feral red eyes.  He felt nothing but pity for her, realizing how frightening he himself must have looked.

But Gakupo had an advantage.  With no more dissonance in his heart, he could finally fight to his full potential.  He let out a powerful force melody to break away one of the other soldiers flanking as Luka fired bolts of pink arrows.  All they needed was to cause enough commotion and Meiko would come out…

 

Rin walked down the familiar steps into the basement recording studio, grimacing as she remembered the long rehearsals.  What _had_ her parents intended to gain from the three of them working so hard?

Len kicked open the door to the booth their parents always stood inside.  Nothing appeared amiss – though it was exactly as they’d left it when the two of them moved out of the house.  Rin examined papers of sheet music.

_“A god of death with sorrowful eyes speaks, ‘Are you the one who will save me?’”_

Rin couldn’t help but sing the well-worn lyrics to herself.  The Hearts had been _very_ insistent about it.  

_"It's all right. I'll take your darkness upon myself. And I'll change your form into a bird."_

She stopped and thought for a moment about the words she’d repeated from perfect memory.  Now that she’d even performed a Seruva ballad for herself, the similarities were impossible to miss.  “Hey, Len… isn’t this structured… like a Seruva song?”

Len walked over and read the lyrics for himself. 

_“The girl took with her the white birds that covered the entire sky and her appearance became as dark as the deepest night.”_

He looked up at Rin.  “It kinda sounds like that legend Luka was telling us… about the white and black guardians?  Sujata Hama and Sujata Raka?”

Rin stuffed the paper into her handbag.  “We need to show this to Luka and Gakupo!” she said.

Now Len was rifling through the lyrics sheets himself.  Rin recalled another song she used to share with Len…

_“I’ll abandon my pure heart, if I’m allowed to live and love you, I won’t hesitate to cut off these wings, let me surrender myself to the devil…”_

‘Cut off these wings… that sounds like… a Severing!’

_“What they have in their hands is the fruit of lust they had desired, combining in a feverish frenzy, even their pure vow is breaking a sin…”_

Len seemed to know what Rin was implying without her finishing.  “It’s like a warning… it’s about ‘angels and humans’ but… maybe they’re not angels?!  Maybe’s it’s like… a religious thing!  That Seruva and Humans shouldn’t be together!”

He crammed some of the lyrics into his book bag.  “… do you think it hurt Kaito-niisan to choose to be with Miku?  If he used to hear stories like that all his life?”

Len shook his head furiously.  “He’s been nuts about her since they met… he probably figured since he pretty much _was_ human, there wasn’t much point in getting freaked out about it…”

The blonde boy approached a door in the back, noticing a security keypad instead of a normal lock.  “Maybe we should let Gumi handle this…” he muttered.

“No way!  We can totally do it!” Rin said with a cheer.

“Eh?  We can’t HACK it… ohhhhh!”

Len faced the door, gripping his sister’s hand.  Two heartbeats… one song.  A tremendous force blast rocketed the door off its hinges.

The twins stepped into the final room, revealing all kinds of bizarre equipment, as well as a computer setup.  “Were there people in here?  When we were singing?” Rin asked.

No notes remained behind.  Len went to turn on the computer, but it refused to boot.  “They must have taken the hard drive…” he muttered.

“… Len… they trying to make the three of us perform magic, weren't they?”

The sudden tension in her brother’s face seemed to confirm he thought the same way.

“Hey!  HEYYYYYY!”

Gumi’s voice rang down through the basement, along with the sounds of pounding feet.  “There’s a bunch of security guards in the house, we need to BOOK IT!”

“THERE SHE IS!”

“Gumi!” Rin shouted.

The twins rushed up the stairs after her…

 

_The crunching metal… the screams of her parents… her broken body flung through glass, plunging through the air, the earth below as her twin turquoise pigtails trailed behind her.  Her heart pounded with fear as she anticipated the impact…_

_White feathers fell through the air as she saw it… a boy with blue hair and white and purple robes, his arms outstretched… his white wings spread out behind him…_

_Her descent broke as he caught her up in his arms, pulling her small body tight to his chest.  The look of fear on his face, replaced by calm as a soft melody echoed through the air… a heavenly song in a melody she could not understand…_

_As he carried her over the city, past the buildings, across the sea, she felt the pain in her body fade.  She focused only on the freedom of flight, his soft, sad tones the only words he uttered._

_Finally they alighted atop the same hill she’d just had her family picnic on… her body completely healed.  She began to turn to the wreckage when he whispered something to her… he started to leave and she shouted, begging him to stay.  He hesitated, turning his head back to her and smiling before he leapt into the air again… she extended her hand to catch a single molted feather…_

 

Kaito’s screaming caused Miku to spring up almost immediately.  She cursed herself for having been lulled into sleep.  Kaito was standing, wandering around as if in a daze before he dove at her in her chair.  Miku yelped and sprang away, instantly regretting it as Kaito hit the floor.  “Kaito!  Kaito, it’s me!  It’s Miku!”

“Where…. Where is she?  I know she's out there, I won't let you take her from me!”

His voice… she’d finally heard his voice… but _Kaito_ still wasn’t there.

He turned and started to attack her again… Miku felt so guilty but…

She dodged his mad swipes, grabbing his arms and pinning them to his back, just as Gakupo had shown her to do.  The fact he wasn’t able to wriggle free meant she was either getting a _lot_ stronger than she was giving herself credit for, or Kaito just wasn’t strong enough to fight back like this.

“She's waiting for me… I have to get back to her…”

Kaito fell backwards, Miku trying to catch him before he hit the ground but falling over herself.  His body felt still in her arms.

“I… I love her… why can't I… find her…”

Kaito's voice trailed off into incomprehensible noises again.

Miku needed to push him off and get him back to the bed but… instead she found herself hugging his body.

 

Gumi backed up to the wall, attempting her most threatening judo stance.  “C’mon, just TRY me!” she shouted, “I can take you!”

The men with _guns_ didn’t seem terrible impressed.  “Mr. Heart… she’s got a laptop.  What do you want us to do?”

She strained to try and hear the voice on the other side of the Bluetooth.

“…understood.  We’ll bring her down.”

Before Gumi got even a chance to show of her mighty judo throws, she heard a single melody from two synchronous voices.  Light erupted behind her attackers before a crack of lightning tossed them apart.

Len grabbed Gumi’s wrist and dragged her along.  “Come on, we need to GO!” he shouted, “Get anything good?!”

She shoved the laptop roughly into her messenger bag.  “Oh, you’re not going to BELIEVE what I found!” she said with a broad smile, “I don’t know if any of it’s gonna help Blue, but oooooh have I got dirt on the Hearts!”

 

Perhaps it truly _was_ madness to storm the hornet's nest.  It had taken Luka and every one of the other Vocaloids to try and contain Gakupo when the power of the Noise coursed through his veins.  Trying to take on _three_ warriors in a similar state with merely two of them?

Yet they appeared individually weaker than the tengu.  Perhaps Meiko's technique in molding them differed from how she created the "Harbinger".  Regardless, fighting many of them at once still proved a mighty task.  Luka found herself slammed into the ground as Lily broke through her shield, screeching at her like a crazed animal.  She let loose with a few force melodies, pushing the two off the floor and forcing the corrupted Seruva to stop trying to attack her… but she did not let go.  Luka tried to suppress the flurry of emotions of being pinned again by the very same woman that stole the skies from her so many long years ago…

“Luka!”

Gakupo briefly broke the tight pattern of the other two Seruva he fought with, trying to reach Luka and drive back Lily.  Yet a familiar voice sang a dissonant melody, echoing across the tunnel as black chains wrapped around Gakupo’s limbs, yanking him back to the Earth.  He tried a few force shouts of his own, but failed to loosen them.  His opponents stood over him, talons extended and ready to pounce…

“Truly your insolence knows no limits.”

Meiko.

“No, don’t kill him.  He would not have flown down here on a suicide mission.  He is far too conniving for that.”

Somehow it would have felt _better_ to Luka if the woman showed some form of cruelty or malice.  The emotionless blank felt worse.  Like someone had taken everything wonderful about the brazen child and pulverized it.

The brunette priestess looked to Luka and Gakupo out of confusion.  “The Spirit Caller is absent.  Did learning the truth of your treasonous actions finally drive him to seek reason?”

“Kaito is dying because of _your_ foul magic!” the warrior shouted.

The wild Seruva roughly pulled him up to face Meiko.  “What insanity is this?” she said, “I’ve not touched him.”

“The Seal, Meiko!” Luka cried out, “Every one of the Heralds spoke of it, saying it would kill him!”

Upon hearing Luka mention “The Seal”, Meiko’s confusion faded.  “Of course they did.  Because every one of the Heralds died from it.”

For just a second… Luka thought she heard an actual emotion in Meiko’s melody.  “As did Lady Prima.”

She approached Gakupo without fear.  As he twitched as though he were to cast a spell, she let forth a distonal shout and the chains wrapped around his throat.  He gagged for a moment, but ceased trying to sing.  “Did you sincerely come all this way for revenge?  Over that?”

“Meiko, please… if you know what the Seal is, you must know a way to save Kaito.  The last Spirit Caller is about to die.”

Appealing purely to their once unbreakable friendship would not suffice.  “If not for the sake of a friend… then surely for the good of the Seruva.”

The priestess allowed a flicker of sadness to reach her face.  “Do you not understand?” Meiko said, “His death… _is_ for the good of the Seruva.”

She looked to Luka and all traces of that emotion faded.  “The Noise originates beyond the veil, from the lost souls murdered by Sujata Raka crying out for vengeance.  If left unchecked, it would have obliterated all life by now.”

She clenched a fist to her chest.  “The Spirit Callers themselves cannot destroy it… but they could become a protection against it.  Thus every one of them undergoes a Sealing ceremony, their bodies becoming a barrier against the power of the Noise.  With the curse that their bodies would continue to act as beacons for it until it consumed them.”

“The Noise… is everywhere…” Gakupo choked out.  At least Luka had some comfort that he was breathing.

“Because it was never to be a permanent measure,” Meiko continued, “We were supposed to find a way to break the Noise somehow.  But we never did.  And thus… every Spirit Caller simply died when their bodies took on too much Noise, their spirits falling beyond the veil but still serving as Seals to cease its growth.”

Luka tried to think of Kaito’s most recent actions.  Every time he fought a Herald… he _had_ seemed weaker.  Perhaps he wasn’t merely over-exerting himself… “Kaito freeing the Heralds… simply took their burdens and placed it upon him…”

The priestess turned from Luka, walking towards the back of the tunnel.  “Indeed.  I know not what summoned the deceased Spirit Callers from beyond the veil, but the Noise has never truly weakened.  That’s why… that’s why I realized we must live _with_ it instead of _against_ it.”

She swept her arms up into the air.  “The Elders tried to make another Spirit Caller out of me, using their power over Dark Notes to try and replace the power of the bloodline… and they failed.  But I became something far greater.  And… I realized the only way to truly satisfy the Noise’s hunger… is the deaths of humanity.”

She turned back to Luka and she saw a familiar madness in the eyes of the Priestess.  “I had hoped to drag the knowledge of the Hymn of Desolation from the last Spirit Caller, call forth Sujata Raka and Sujata Hama, and finally create the world we should have made.  But when he was lost… I had to find another method to achieve that aim.  The Elders… disagreed with my methods.”

She tossed a glance at Gakupo.   “A rather simple obstacle for the Harbinger to remove for me.”

“Kill all who interfere…” Gakupo murmured as he realized what Meiko had compelled him to do.  No wonder Meiko had such confidence in him as a tool.

“Meiko!  If you’re just going to wipe out the humans with soldiers, then there’s no need for Kaito to die as the Seal!” Luka pleaded, “How do we save him?”

She began to study the ceiling above her, looking for an escape route.  She would _not_ let Meiko continue torturing Gakupo.  Or _worse_.

“Hmph… his spirit is being dragged unanchored by the Noise…” Meiko said, “Perhaps if something could reach him, forge a connection to his spirit?  But of course, nobody ever tried to save the Spirit Callers when their deaths were necessary."

An anchor… Luka had some idea of how to forge one, but that would still leave Kaito in the grips of the Noise even he could follow a voice…

"Besides, neither of you will be doing anything about it.”

Luka's careful eye spotted some telltale cracks in the ceiling from the long disuse of the tunnels in this part of the city.  She had _one_ chance.

“Take the two of them to the rift and-“

“GAKUPO THE CEILING!”

She began to sing her melody, shooting forth a wild wave of sound.  She hoped he’d understood… when she felt his heart beating with hers as he let forth the same song.

The resulting explosion blew a hole in the roof of the tunnel, raining debris all over.  As she felt Lily loosen her hold on her to dodge a large piece of falling cement, she began to fire arrows in the direct of Meiko.  She heard the melody maintaining the chains disperse and within seconds a winged form was zooming towards her.

Gakupo grabbed her and shot through the opening, taking to the sky.  Luka pulled out her phone – the signal was back.  She rapidly dialed Miku…

 

As Miku watched Kaito lying still, his breathing seemed to grow weaker.  “No… no!” she pleaded, “Please!  Please stay with me!  Kaito please!”

But right before her eyes… a familiar aura surrounded his body and all color began to drain away.

_“At the boundary lines mixed with jokes, a little farther ahead of the stairs, there is nothing good there at all, huh? Shall I try to guide you instead?”_

Miku grabbed her phone as she heard Luka’s ringtone.  “Luka!  Luka Kaito’s going to-“

Luka was practically screaming in the other end.  “Miku!  Make your voice into a beacon!  Focus everything you have into trying to reach him!  Think of nothing but Kaito and sing until he hears you!  You must anchor him until Gakupo and I get there and we'll try to-”

The phone call cut off to the sound of a wild dissonant screech.  She felt so powerless – her friends were in mortal danger, she wanted to help them!  But as Kaito lost more and more of his color, she knew she had to at least try to save him… and hope that Luka and Gakupo could arrive and finish whatever they needed to do.

‘Let’s see… he _did_ react to this one…’

 

Finally, his journey seemed at an end as he was pulled into an inky, living entity.  He had failed to save himself.  His body became trapped in the murkiness of the heart of the Noise itself, slowly sinking further and further within.

He was to become everything.  He was to become nothing.  Simply… the Noise.

_“As I slowly open my eyes, a dark sea of sky stands before me… The hundred million away lands come streaming into me…”_

Her voice.  Trying to draw him back.

 

Miku focused every part of her being into thoughts of Kaito.  She had no earthly idea of how to send them somewhere but… surely if he was in front of her, he could hear it?

She tried to focus on every wonderful moment with him and channel those feelings into her voice…

 

_“Breathing the coldness of empty space, before my senses start to go numb…”_

'I… I have to return to her…' he thought.

He shifted in the abyss, trying to wrench himself free but he felt so weak… so many voices trying to drown out just one… how could just one simple human song defeat them?

 

_“This body, give it a piece of your love… your love…”_

Miku’s tears ceased as nothing but her will to protect Kaito consumed her.  She didn’t know where he was but she would find him.  She would tear the fabric of the world apart if she had to.  But right now all she had to do was sing.

Easy.

She thought she felt a breeze in the room but she ignored it as she continued to keep her mind clear of nothing else but her goal…

 

_“I definitely just had been drifting in space along these debris… Going on like this, before I fade away, please...”_

He refused to fade away!  He could hear her, she was right there, by his side!  But at once she was across infinity itself.  He stretched out his hand as though somehow trying to touch the song, focusing every piece of his being on the melody…

But as the tendrils entwined around his extended arm, he feared it wouldn’t be enough… how many more had died like him with their lover singing at their side?  What made his love for Miku any more special than the love of any others?

Even so… Kaito felt Miku’s heart beating in perfect harmony with his as the Noise still tried to pull him within.

“ _Your love.”_

In the darkness, Kaito saw five brilliants lights glimmering, streaking towards him.

_“Right now.”_

The Noise tried to block his vision, but white feathers began to fall towards him.

_“Your love.”_

Before even his face was pulled into the living Entity, he saw a brilliant rainbow chain of paper cranes.

 _“Right now._ ”

Kaito heard five voices ring out at once and the Noise blasted apart around him as five light arrows pierced through it.  He let out a gasp, trying to pull the rest of his body free as the tendrils reached out for him.  “Tch!  Get the hell away from him!”

Yuma’s swords sliced through the living Noise as Haku rushed forward and grabbed Kaito.  “Let go of him, jerks!” she shouted, waving her fists.

The white-haired Seruva pulled him free and began to fly forward.  As soon as he snapped away from it, he felt the Noise leave his body.  "Ha… Haku…" he coughed out, relieved his own voice had returned to him.

The Noise shrieked, a series of wild chaotic tones as Kaito departed from it.  Blasts of dark energy flew through the air.  Kaito heard a cheerful melody and watched as waves of pink cherry blossoms pushed back at the projectiles.  Mizki waved her fan and giggled.  As a few tendrils shot through, silvery white chains shot through the air and tore them apart.

_“Your love.”_

“Don’t stop flying!  Keep going!” Miriam shouted.

As they left the abyss further and further behind, Kaito saw the eyes of the one person he’d been willing to die for the most.

One last wretched tendril wrapped itself around Kaito’s waist, pulling him back and ripping him out of Haku’s arms entirely… before Prima dove forward, holding a brilliant white dagger, and sliced it clean.  She gripped her son and flew with all of her might.

Kaito realized with enthusiasm that he was actually going to _survive_.  He was going _home._

_“Right now.”_

A bright light flashed in the room, interrupting Miku’s song.  She panicked for a moment as it engulfed Kaito’s body… but as it vanished his color had returned.  His eyes glowed with white light but his face was content.

Her hands shook as she touched him.  His body seemed so calm…

 

“… so that’s what the Seal was…” Kaito said.

“I’m so sorry we couldn’t tell you!” Haku said, “We all wanted to but even we didn’t know how to save you… we were afraid we’d never find you before it tore you up!”

He looked to the faces of those he’d nearly died to save.  Fellow Spirit Callers, every one of them.  Others who understood the weight of his burdens, carrying them until death.  “What’s going to happen to you now?” he asked.

“We can finally rest…” Yuma said, “I mean, we DID die already.  We just… spent our afterlives as part of _that_.”

“The Noise kept sending us after you, trying to kill the last Spirit Caller and finally flow freely,” Miriam explained, “But once you purged our spirits of the Noise, we lost the false bodies.”

But if there was no more Seal… “What’s going to happen to the Noise?”

Prima looked grim.  “It won’t stop… it was already flowing past the Seals as it was.  The ancestors fell silent because it consumed them already.”

Kaito felt a chill – Meiko had been sending him deeper and deeper beyond the veil and he’d been chasing spirits who no longer existed.

Prima continued.  “It found allies in both humans and Seruva as well… human technology freed the Heralds, but the Seruva’s actions led to Noise spilling out both on Earth and within the Islands.”

“But if we don’t stop it, it could wipe out everyone on the planet!” Kaito said.

Mizki giggled.  “Well, there might be _one_ way… buuuuut… it’s really dangerous.”

She was grinning from ear to ear like she had a secret.  “Should we teach him?”

“He can’t learn it if he’s still Val’Sharess though!” Haku said, “He needs to be able to soar!”

“And don’t forget… it’s also what caused all of this…” Miriam warned.

Kaito grew impatient.  “Don’t I get a say?” he said, “I’m getting tired of everyone choosing my fate _for_ me.”

As he approached the edge of the veil, Prima released him.  Her face appeared stoic and grim.  “We must give him the choice.  The worst thing that happens is… the End.  Either way.”

The five former Heralds joined together.  “We shall teach you the melody of your heritage,” Prima said, “I entrust you, my son… with the choice in how to use it.  Just know that when you awaken the notes will recede.  Until you soar once again.”

Kaito’s mind filled with a powerful, ancient melody, burgeoning with power and strength.  As if contained within these notes were the powers to birth and destroy worlds.  The words barely left his lips before he finally found his spirit back in his body…

 

Kaito felt the weight of suddenly having physical form again.  He twitched his hands, and at first they moved awkwardly, as if he were trying to manipulate gloves instead of appendages.  But finally he felt enough strength to force his eyelids open…

…and right above him was his beloved.  The girl who refused to stop trying to protect him.

“Miku.”

His voice barely above a whisper, he tried to say something else before the girl had him scooped into a tight embrace.  Kaito felt dampness on his bare shoulder as Miku sniffled.  As his strength flourished, he gladly returned her embrace.  He was no longer living on borrowed time.  He would never have to leave her again. 

“Kaito… oh Kaito…” she whispered.

Suddenly she pushed her head up and glared at him.  “How… how DARE you lie to us all like that?!  Pretending you were going to tell us the truth when you knew you were going to die!”

Her angry, wounded melody melted as her face returned to a happy smile.  “Idiot.”

“I’m so sorry Miku…” Kaito said, “I… I just felt so defeated.  I figured out what was happening to me and it didn’t seem right to take your happiness away by telling you I was dying.”

He clutched her tighter.  “But you saved me… again.  You never gave up…”

Miku shook her head.  “I just sang to you because Luka told me to try it…”

Suddenly Miku jumped up.  “Oh god, Luka!”

She checked her phone, frowning as she apparently didn’t see what she wanted.  “Everyone had their own missions to try and find ways to help you!” Miku explained, “We didn’t know what to do for you so Rin, Len, and Gumi drove off to their parent’s house to find out what Mirror knows… and Luka and Gakupo went after Meiko.”

“What?!” Kaito exclaimed, “They put themselves at risk for me?!”

“Oh, lotta talk coming from YOU!” Miku said, sticking her tongue out at him.

Kaito tried to sort out everything that had happened to him as he’d been nearly devoured by the Noise.  What the Heralds had told him.  The song they’d taught him.  He tried to sing it a second time… yet he only got a few notes out before the memory faded.

“A song that even a Seruva can’t remember…” he murmured.

Miku looked up at him.  “Huh?  What do you mean?”

Kaito put a hand to his chin.  “The people I saved from being Heralds, they all flew out and saved me… and they tried to teach me a melody but…”

He shook his head.  “Maybe I can’t remember it because I can’t fly anymore,” he remarked, “They said I’d recall it when I next ‘soar’”…

All of a sudden an ear-piercing noise emanated from the room.  Kaito covered his ears and tried to find the source.  ‘Wait, I know this…’

“This is NERU!” Miku shouted.

Kaito finally narrowed his eyes on Gumi’s TV set.  He cast his ballad of purification and the piercing sound ceased.

“Kaito… if you heal Neru…”

“…I’ll be fine.  I broke the Sealing over me.”

He grabbed his jacket and stood up, throwing it on quickly.  “We have to set her free, Miku!  I’ll worry about the song later!”

Miku grabbed her sword and belt. “If it’s coming from the TV… maybe Kotori Broadcast Tower?” Miku suggested.

Kaito wrapped his scarf around his neck and threw it over his shoulder.

“Then let’s put an end to this… for good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  Phew.  That was a hell of a thing.  One of my readers has been expecting the former Heralds to show up again, so I hope their appearance significantly earlier in the story was a reasonable surprise.
> 
> “Frank Smith” and “Jody Doe” are references to Big Al and Sweet Ann’s otherwise unknown voice providers.  Since all we know of Al’s is the name “Frank S.” and Ann only as “Jody”, I gave them appropriately generic last names.
> 
>  **Song Credits** : You know, you wouldn’t think THIS would be a chapter with a lot of songs but… Miku sings [Starduster](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG0pyVd0qtY) to lure Kaito back from death.  Story time – I didn’t know anything about this song the first time I heard it in concert.  But when they played it at [Miku Expo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-ig-TsZchw), they displayed the romaji so the audience could sing along.  I had no idea it was a song about someone begging to be heard – I thought it was a  _happy_  song.  Because they actually set it up so every “Ai wo…” had a response from her fans.  Like we were all trying to save her!  I looked up the lyrics after the show and was quite surprised to know that’s  _why_  we were calling out to her.  I sort of kept that in the back of my mind and when it came to this chapter of Broken Wings, I thought my misinterpretation mixed with the intent would suit this chapter fine.  If you click that live show link, it's actually from the night I was there and around 4 minutes in you can hear the audience call and respond... you might have an idea of why I had that strange idea that I did!
> 
> Beyond that, I finally got to use some bird and angel songs from the Kagamines!  “[Soleil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gx8wJAi-WnY)” and “[Alluring Secret ~Black Vow~](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxzmspNVUzY)”.  It’s kind of fun to take Vocaloid songs and give them a “lore” reason for existing.  Amusingly, both of them have Kaito in an antagonistic position to Rin!
> 
> And completely outside of lore, apparently Miku set “[World’s End Dancehall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDD6Vbw9llI)” to be Luka’s ringtone.
> 
> The chapter title itself is named for the Kaito song "[Infinite Loop](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCnaTHEWbP4)."  Watch the PV and you'll understand why.  I couldn't find english lyrics though :(  The song was suggested by a reader on FF.net :)


	15. Soar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Until next you soar." Kaito must keep his mother's words close to his heart as he and Miku do battle with the final Herald, now a soldier deployed to murder her kinsmen. Gakupo and Luka fight for their lives against Noise-imbued Seruva, while Rin and Len end up taking on Big Sweet by themselves. But a trap begins to close around the twins and Neru is far stronger than she once was. When Miku tumbles through the sky… Kaito must soar.

Oliver kept a hand to his earpiece as he delivered orders.  “Remember.  If any Seruva show up… taking them in is only a secondary goal.  Taking them _out_ is more important.  Try to hang back and let the Herald fight first.”

“Come now Oliver, I’m anxious to try out the new arms!  Can’t I just take a few warning swipes?”

He tapped his fingers on the desk.  “Flower wants as much data on her new tool as she can get.  Make sure she doesn’t get broken.”

He swallowed hard.  “If _anyone_ from Mystery Squad shows up, no matter who they are, don’t let them escape.  You don’t get chem requisitions this time so… if _they_ show up… do not kill them.”

“Aww, listen to Ollie, he’s still such a softie.  Don’t worry, we’ll make you proud of us!”

As the boy’s thoughts turned to his siblings, he hoped their last encounter had taught them to stay out of the way… to protect themselves…

… something he realized likely hadn’t happened as the door to his office burst open, Mirror containment troops rushing inside.  Oliver took a few quick swipes at his key board before putting his hands up as guns raised in his general direction.

“You’ve been keeping _secrets_ , Oliver.”

For the first time in almost three years… Oliver found himself face to face with his father.  Leon Heart.

The older man brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes.  "You had a very specific job Oliver.  Contain the Noise experiments, and keep the FX Units under control."

The boy clenched his fists but remained silent under his father's icy gaze.  "You were _not_ supposed to be interfering with Project Gemini."

"… you could at least have the decency to use your children's names, _father._ "

Leon failed to take the bait.  "Confiscate his equipment, let IT recover as much as we can.  As for you, my boy…"

Oliver smirked.  "You can't silence me mid-operation.  Big Al and Sweet Ann don't take orders from anyone but me."

"Oh… that's not going to be a problem anymore, Ollie dear!"

Mayu's infuriating giggle pierced the air as the blonde scientist bounced forward.

 

Miku tried to control the scooter as she zipped through the Tsubasa City streets.  The waves of Dark Notes kept clawing at her, trying to amplify her feelings – this time, of hatred.  A difficult problem, because Miku had so many people to hate right now.

Kaito's calm voice on the back of the scooter helped her keep herself together.  This would hopefully be a _simple_ assignment… but not one of the Vocaloids had seen nor heard from Neru since her capture by Mirror.

And right now, she _really_ hated Mirror.

As she grew closer to the tower, she jammed on her brakes as rows of stopped cars blocked her progress.  "Oh come on, rush hour?!" she grumbled.

"Miku… they're unconscious!  Look!"

Miku followed Kaito's outstretched hand to the windows of a nearby sedan.  A woman lay slumped over the steering wheel in her vehicle, a black aura closing in around her body.  Darting her head to a stopped truck, the driver was laying back in his seat, mumbling to himself.  Even on the sidewalks, she could find children and teenagers on the ground, their discarded bikes lying on the pavement.

Miku hopped off the scooter.  "Guess we'll just have to hoof the last mile… ugh… I don't suppose you've got any spells to help with that?"

Kaito laughed in spite of the danger.  "As a matter of fact… yes."

 

Len gripped the handles of his scooters tightly.  "Are they still behind us!?" he called out.

"Yup!" Gumi hollered.

"Len… just sing with me, okay?"

Lightning cracked behind him as he sang the zig-zagging melody of storms.  He heard a swerve behind him.  "Yea… they're done following us _now_."

His sister's arms were wrapped tightly around his waist.  His heart pounded.  There was no way his parents hadn't found out about his powers now.  But he wasn't going to let them take him or his friends out.  Maybe this show of force would keep them away from him in the meantime.

But they could worry about that later.  Right now, he still needed to save Kaito.

As if on cue, Rin's text signal went off.  She grabbed her phone and checked it.

"Kaito-niisan!  He's alive!  He's safe!"

Another crisis averted.  "For a bird, that guy's got more lives than a cat!" Gumi quipped.

As they grew closer to the downtown area, Len finally recognized a screeching noise in the air.  "The heck is that?!"

"It sounds like… like when Neru was turning our phones against us!"

"Wait, what?!  Then get rid of yours, Rin!"

Rin held her phone out.  "It's fine though… she must not be in a cell tower anymore…"

Kaito was barely awake AND there was an active Herald.  And they still hadn't heard from Gakupo and Luka since they'd left to track Meiko.  Their troubles had yet to cease… "Wait, Miku just texted… she thinks they're in the Kotori Broadcast Tower!  The signals are coming from the TVs!"

"Okay… you two do your superhero thing… I'd love to film it, but I got way too much data to sift through!"

Gumi gave a wave to the twins as she jetted off.  "Stay safe you guys!"  
  


The moment the Dark Notes reached Gakupo's ear, his relentless pursuers seemed to grow even more chaotic.  "A Herald… now?!"

"Gakupo, try weaving through the skyscrapers!"

He followed Luka's orders, zooming between the many tall buildings as though they were trees.  The screeching noise of the Dark Notes rattled in his head.  He despised them so… The Noise had taken so much from him already, bent him into a blunt tool, and then spat him out when he served no further use.

"Gakupo!  Are you okay?!"

He retained his grip on Luka as he realized what was happening to him.  He flew straight up, trying to evade the Dark Notes.  It felt as though the closer he were to the ground, the more powerful the signal… finally he alighted atop one of the buildings, quickly releasing Luka as he allowed his head to clear.

"Gakupo… I felt it too… it wasn't just you…" Luka reassured him.

"I… I know…"

Yet he still reflexively found himself examining his hands just to remind himself of his own sanity.  The dissonant melody in his heart no longer existed.  He would _not_ change again.

Luka checked her phone as he knelt against the edge of the skyscraper, trying to survey the area below him.  People collapsed all over the streets.  Neru then.  Hopefully this time he could fight her without Mirror's interference.  But fighting multiple opponents at the same time…

"…. It worked!  Kaito's alive!"

"What?!  Miku did it by _herself?!"_

Luka started to wipe some tears from her face at the first piece of happy news they'd gotten this day.  "Miku thinks the Herald is at Kotori… so… Kaito and Miku are heading there to stop the Herald…"

He heard a bird-like wail and prepared for battle, but he saw the possessed Seruva shoot right past him.  He quickly realized they were being drawn to the tower.  "… Meiko's Seruva are being led into a trap."

He spread his wings out.  "I'll divert them."

"What?!  By yourself!?"

As much as he'd much rather leave Luka somewhere safe rather than watch her suffer another mortal wound… he knew he couldn't fight them himself.  "… I'll bait them back here."

If he kept close to her, he could protect her.

He heard Luka's melody in his ears as he felt his fatigue vanishing.  Having been properly healed, Gakupo left from the skyscraper roof, preparing himself for yet another fight.  He needed to keep the Seruva away from the tower long enough for Kaito to send the Herald away.

He disliked leaving Kaito and Miku to solve a problem on their own but he hoped that the twins were right behind them.  And no doubt the wild Seruva would turn on Kaito quickly if they met him at the tower as well.

As the warrior closed in on his targets, he tossed out a mighty wave to force their attention.  Immediately they changed their flight paths and closed on him.  As he dove back towards the building, twisting through the air to avoid a few dark bolts of energy from their dissonant songs, he hoped Luka was prepared for the fight he was bringing back to her.

He smirked.  For once, he was enjoying a battle again.

 

As Kaito approached the building, still singing his ballad of renewal to keep up his energy with Miku, he saw Len and Rin zooming up the sidewalk on their scooter.  "H…hey!  How did you pull THAT off!?" Miku shouted.

Len hopped off and laughed.  "We uh… took the scenic route.  Probably broke like 50 traffic laws but… the cops are unconscious, so what are they gonna do?"

Before Kaito could say another word, Rin ran towards him and sailed through the air as she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.  In seconds he found himself on the ground from Rin's enthusiastic greeting.  "K… Kaito-niisan… I was so scared… I don't wanna lose any more big brothers!"

Upon hearing her shaking, panicked notes, he patted Rin on the top of the head and tried to reassure her.  "It's okay, Rin… Miku saved me.  I'm not going anywhere now."

Rin sniffled and released her "big brother", allowing him back up to his feet.  Kaito brushed himself off, guilty that he'd so upset the people he counted as his friends but also cheered that they'd all cared so much about him.  "Let's go take care of the Herald, and then we can find Luka and Gakupo!" he said.

The twins nodded and he followed close behind Miku as she entered the building.  He kept maintaining his own ballad to try and keep the group standing as the intensity of the noise grew.  Occasionally some of the people nearby him would jerk around or appear to notice Kaito's presence, but as he passed them they returned to their unconscious state.  Having been plunged into the heart of the Noise, Kaito felt nothing but pity for them.  If they suffered even a fraction of the suffering he'd experienced so deep within the malevolent entity…

Kaito vowed to end this today.  Then he could focus on how to stop the Heralds from appearing anymore.  Find some way to rescue the other Spirit Callers from the Noise as he'd rescued the first five. Just as he was going to save Neru...

Miku approached the elevator and pressed the button.  "My best guess is… they stuck the generator on one of the observation decks.  So as soon those doors open… expect a fight."

Len pumped his fists.  "Oh, we're ready for it!  Now that we got Kaito back, this is gonna be EASY!"

_"Until next you soar."_

Prima's words echoed in Kaito head as he sought some solution to his dilemma.  He had wings no longer – "soaring" was not something he could accomplish.  Even Haku seemed doubtful he could pull it off.  But still they'd entrusted him with a powerful ballad.  And a warning – the End was approaching.

'The end of the world?' he thought to himself.

As the four rode up the elevator and he saw the city grow smaller as he flew higher, Kaito finally understood why Luka loved coming up here.  He pressed up against the glass, for a few moments imagining himself with wings and the first moments of flight of the earth being propelled away from him.  The closest he could ever get to flying under his own power now.

Miku placed her hand over his.  Something about her expression suggested she understood his feelings.  Once, only once, she'd seen Tsubasa City from the sky, in the arms of the boy who saved her.  Maybe she liked high places for the same reason.

He could just barely hear Rin whispering dreamily to herself.

“My oniisan… The fallen angel finding happiness with the earthbound songstress… so romantic…"

The color in Miku's cheeks indicated Rin was hardly any less audible to _her_ either.

 

As the elevator doors opened, Miku held her sword hilt tightly, prepared for almost anything.  When she made out two familiar figures on the lower deck, she realized they were the only two people she still didn’t know how to prepare herself for.

Side by side they stood.  Big Sweet.  Singing in an eerie synchronous duet.  Sweet Ann swept her arms to the right.

_“Wanted to live her life in the spotlight… wanted to love a love of pure passion…”_

Big Al dipped his partner as though holding her for a dance.

_“Dreaded that day that life would grow boring. Happiness was a headline away!”_

Rin and Len reflexively released a pair of golden arrows upon seeing them, taking no chances.  Big Al spun his partner, elegantly allowing both of them to dodge them.  Miku looked to the stairs leading up to the highest observation deck.  “They’re protecting Neru…” she growled.

“… then you and Kaito go get Neru.  We’ll take care of Big Sweet.”

“Len, NO!” Kaito bellowed, “I won’t let either of you do something so dangerous!”

“They won’t kill us,” Rin said solemnly, “They won’t do that for you.”

She glared up at Miku and Kaito.  “Just fix everything quick, okay?”

Before Kaito could respond, Big Sweet began a thunderous charge, charging at the quartet like an oncoming train.  Rin and Len threw up their shields as the two impacted.  “GO!  NOW!”

Miku didn’t want to leave them behind... but she had to trust in them.  “Now Kaito!”

She glanced back and worried that Kaito intended to stay behind anyway, but he turned and began to chase after her.  The two bolted up the stairs. 

_“Happiness!  Was a headline-”_

Kaito got his next shield up so fast Ann nearly flew off the railing entirely from the force.  Miku kept her hand on her weapon as the screeching sounds grew closer.  Neru would be waiting for them… she would not let anything happen to Kaito again…

 

As Luka drew another arrow to keep her distance, she had just one thought in her head - why was _Lily_ of all people so obsessed with fighting her?!  She’d only met the commander of the warrior caste _once_.  She had _never_ wished to meet her again.

Perhaps the Noise knew their history and wished to torment them with it.

Meanwhile, Gakupo seemed to be performing better than ever with the skies open to him.  She’d keep seeing him lead the trio of brothers around the skyscrapers, trying to force them to break formation and engaging with a straggler when he had the chance.  Every time they closed around him, he’d use the terrain to disappear again.

The wretched Dark Notes vibrating through the city grated on Luka’s ears.  Every so often she’d feel the melody try to overwhelm her heart, trying to draw her wells of hatred out.  An emotion she’d come to understand – the more she became exposed to the abuses of her clan, the more she hated herself for wanting to be so loyal to its leadership.

And now… now they were dead.  Finally destroyed by one of their victims.

The only question on Luka’s mind as she turned away another frenzy of claw swipes from her opponent was where they’d found the Noise in the first place.  Had a rift opened in the Islands first?  Surely it wasn’t impossible… Meiko wouldn’t have been able to drag Gakupo all the way to Earth just to… to…

Her strength wavered as she briefly succumbed to the Noise-induced hatred, allowing Lily to rake her talons along Luka’s arm.  She let out a shout, drawing her arm back and trying to prepare a shield.  Lily broke the fragments and made another injury on her arm.  This time Luka tried to restrain herself – she didn’t wish to break her warrior’s concentration as she bit her lip.

As Lily moved in for a third strike, Luka bit her lip and performed an acrobatic dance step, somersaulting over the Seruva’s head and landing on her feet.  Before Lily could get a fourth swipe at her, Luka tried to wield her force melody as if it were a moving wall.

She felt a brief moment of elation as Lily pressed against it, flung from the top of the skyscraper.  Obviously not a major obstacle to a flying creature, but enough time for Luka to at least heal herself enough to stem the bleeding before Lily streaked back up again.  As the Dark Notes tried to swarm Luka’s focus again, she cleared her mind and thought only of how happy she would be to see Kaito alive and safe once more…

 

Rin felt her heart race as she and Len tried to repel their attackers one more time.  The twins maintained their stances in front of the stairs, making sure to stop either Sweet Ann or Big Al from getting up there again.  They hadn’t gone through all that trouble to try and save Kaito’s life only to lose him again!

Unfortunately, she and Len possessed a distinct disadvantage in song combat compared to their Seruva comrades – they possessed no second voice.  All of their power meant they couldn’t stop and talk and strategize.  They needed to focus perfectly on every spell, every maneuver, reading each other without speaking to each other.  All those years of practice, both as cruel experiments from their parents, and as Vocaloids who danced and sang in perfect harmony, paying off as they maintained their flashy spells.

Out of the corner of Rin’s eye, she saw Sweet Ann latch onto the lattice work and start climbing the tower like a spider.  Without even needing to tell him, Len synchronized with her and they summoned a bolt of lightning, tossing the woman back to the deck with a loud crunch as her body dented the metal floor.

“Curses, how ARE we supposed to get them if we’re just pulling our punches like this?!” Big Al lamented, “He won’t let us hit him hard enough that we might _kill_ them!”

After everything Rin had discovered this afternoon… she had to know.  She glanced at Len, and they watched a moment.  But “Big Sweet” appeared distracted by their conundrum.  “Who sent you after them?  Why do they care so much about us?”

Like clockwork, Sweet Ann had a finger to her lips.  “Classified~” she said in a sing-song voice, “But we are in QUITE the pinch… we can’t let anything happen to the new birdy… but you’re in the way…”

Big Al waved his hand.  “Oliver puts _them_ at a higher priority than any other directive… such a confusing situation!  We can’t stop the Herald… we can’t stop them…”

“O… Oliver?” Len stammered.

Just hearing that name made Rin’s blood freeze.  No… he was dead.  He had to be dead.  _They told her he died_.

… and they were _liars_.

“Oliver would never work for awful people like you!” Rin shouted, tearing up at just the thought of her kind, protective brother performing such evil deeds.

At that, Sweet Ann huffed and stomped her foot, more like a child throwing a tantrum than a grown woman.  “Now see here!  We work for Ollie!  Not the other way around!  And he’s always taken good care of us!”

“Indeed!  The Masters never know what to do with broken tools… but Oliver did.  That’s why no matter how VEXING you two are, we listen to him!”

‘No…. no!’ Rin was screaming in her head, there had to be some mistake.  A different person, a different boy, a coincidence.  She grabbed Len’s hand for strength… finding his shook as hard as hers.  Beads of sweat ran down her brother’s face.

“Did the Hearts do something to him!?” Len shouted.

Sweet Ann dramatically swept a hand to her forehead.  “We told you… _classified!”_

Len’s quivering hand grew stronger as Big Al made a flying leap, trying to sail over the twins.  Rin banished the fear from her heart as they drew invisible bow strings.  Whatever happened to Oliver… if he _was_ her real brother… she would work to protect her dear ‘Kaito-niisan’ even if it meant fighting him.

 

As Kaito and Miku approached Neru, the source of all the wild Noise, Kaito felt his skin crawl as he got a good look at her.  All over her body, metallic pieces were grafted to key joints and limbs, each one giving off a faint yellow light.  As Neru turned to face him, he saw several more metal pieces forming a kind of makeshift tiara at the top of her forehead.

The humans thought _nothing_ of a Seruva’s sentience.  The same humans that tortured him, trying to wrench every secret from his head, to claim his powers for their own.  But even this… now Kaito worried about whether “Big Sweet” were once normal somehow before being turned into the monstrosities they were.  For a second, he actually found himself feeling sorry for them, even knowing what they’d stolen from him.

“This… tower… is mine… this city… is mine…”

Neru’s voice sounded forced and mechanical.  As if every word required permission for her to speak.

“Kaito!  The box!  It’s strapped to the antenna!”

Miku pointed to the tall broadcast antenna and Kaito spied the box, wrapped far too tightly for Kaito to easily dislodge it with a force wave.  A ladder extended up part of it, but the rest Miku would have to try and climb herself… an easy task for someone with wings or super human strength, but neither he nor Miku possessed that.

“This tower… is mine…” Neru repeated.

In defiance, Miku began to step towards the antenna.  Neru released a horrible shriek as she did so, moving into a battle position.  “I’ll take care of her… don’t worry.”

Miku nodded to Kaito and together they ran towards Neru.  Her wings extended and the Herald took flight, releasing another powerful screeching wave.  Kaito tried to keep Miku safe as he shot an arrow to Neru.  “I’m the one you’re looking for!  I’m the Spirit Caller!”

“Spirit… Caller…”

She stared at Kaito with intense eyes, before diving at him like a hawk streaking towards a rat.  “Spirit… Caller… enemy…”

Kaito gracefully kept out of the way of her assault.  She extended her hands, releasing yellow beams of pure sound.  Pulling up his shields, he tried to hold them back and not give away that he was watching Miku as she deftly climbed the ladder…

 

Miku gripped every bar with care, her eyes focused solely on the box.  The closer she grew to the Noise Generator, the more it tried to pull her in.  So many things for her to hate… the loss of her normalcy, the people that hurt Kaito, the thought of Mirror taking him again and destroying everything wonderful about him…

She felt her grip waver as her heart started to weaken and she tried to wipe her mind clean.  Every time before they’d succeeded, they’d beaten every Herald.  She’d been lost to the Noise twice… and twice she’d been pulled out.  Just one more victory and they could finish their business with Mirror… she was so close…

As she ran out of ladder, she gingerly touched the lattice.  To her relief, it didn’t feel hot.  Technically climbing a broadcast antenna could kill her… but so would Neru.

Miku could hear the sounds of scuffling below her, wishing she could be at Kaito’s side to protect him.  He’d only just woken up from the brink of death and here he was!?  Fighting to save a city full of humans?  Even humans that had done nothing but hurt him!?

But… that was something she loved about him.  He never stopped fighting.

The box grew closer and closer… if Miku loosened it, she wouldn’t even need to cut it… surely she could loosen the straps and the box would fly over the side, smash into the pavement, and the problem would solve itself… she slipped her sword back into his sheath and continued her dangerous climb…

 

Neru’s fighting style felt so cold and alien.  Not the fury she’d once possessed, when she flew freely.  She’d been a tool then as well as now.  All that changed… was her master.

“You’re a victim, I know…” Kaito said in sorrow, “My heart grieves for what they’ve done to you…”

“This body… is… stronger…”

The Herald showed little emotion, even if Kaito had finally coaxed some words out of her.  “I know what really happened to you, Neru!” Kaito continued, “I’m fighting to help you… I promise I’ll end this tonight and send you to a peaceful rest.”

“No… rest…”

As they continue to brawl, Kaito found himself overtaken by a different sensation than before.  Sorrow.  Neru, a Spirit Caller like him, a distant ancestor.  Had she been as cruelly manipulated as he?  His mother lived freely under the Elders influence… yet she too received the Sealing.  Perhaps all his kind mother needed was the reminder that she gave of herself for all of the Seruva… perhaps just like him, not understanding the truth of what “giving all” meant.

Neru once carried the burdens and fears of his entire tribe.  In life, she’d done everything she could to protect his people, to provide them safe guidance, and to grant them hope that they could continue to survive disaster.

“Neru… did they even ask you before they Sealed you?  Did they tell you what they wanted you to do?”

For a moment Kaito even wondered if Neru understood him… when he thought he saw a teardrop form in Neru’s eyes and fall down her face.  “Neru…” Kaito said, his voice breaking.

Suddenly her body fell rigid and her neck craned up.  Kaito saw Miku using her hands to undo the straps holding the box to the tower.  Without warning, Neru launched herself back into the air.  “NO!  Miku!  MIKU!”

 

Miku felt the box come loose and the second she touched it that awful rush of emotions flooded her heart.  By the time she banished them enough to try and throw the box she barely became aware that Kaito was shouting to her.

And Neru was right in front of her.

Miku could only watch as the Herald reeled back and a forceful melody erupted from her throat.  Miku tried to lean forward to keep her balance but she couldn’t hang on… and she felt her body fly into the air.

Tumbling, freefalling down the tower… she released the box and tried to reach out for the railing… but it was just too far… the tower streaked past her as her body picked up speed...

 

“MIKUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!”

Kaito ran for the railing and tried to hold out his hand and grab the falling girl… he barely felt her fingertips rushing past his as she fell past him…

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

 

Len turned as he heard Kaito’s loud screams… only to see Miku sailing past.  He couldn’t reach the rail in time… he had no spell ready to pull her close…

 

Kaito watched as Miku’s body fell to the ground, and it felt as though time stood still.  She was falling.  _She was falling_.  In mere moments… her body would hit the pavement… she would most likely die immediately… all he could do…

… was watch.

‘ _Until next you soar.’_

Kaito took a deep breath.  He had to fight.  Even if it meant risking oblivion… he couldn’t give up.  He climbed atop the railing…

… and jumped.

He extended his arms as though he still had his wings, as though the air and the earth were once again the same to him and he tried to release his heart of fear and doubt.  Though his body simply fell as Miku’s did… he allowed himself the sensation of being airborne.

… and he began to sing.

At first the notes came slowly, unwillingly drawn from a place in the back of his head.  But as he continued to fall, they finally spilled forth.  A complete, solid melody…

As he allowed the notes to fill his heart and released them into the air around him, he felt power welling inside of him.  At once he was nothing and everything.  The world’s creation and its destruction.  And with the final note, his mind focused on only one goal.

He wanted to save Miku.

 

‘So this… is how I die.  The way… I was supposed to die.’

Miku screwed her eyes shut, hoping she’d die instantly.  That she wouldn’t feel the pain of every bone in her body shattering at once.  She hoped Kaito wasn’t able to see… she felt so sorry for him, living only to lose her…

When she heard it.  She heard his voice.  She dared to open her eyes and she screamed at first.  Kaito had jumped after her!  _Why?!_   Did he seriously think her could save her?!

She began to cry… she’d doomed the both of them… she would die and he’d follow her.  Yet selfishly… she felt glad she’d hear his voice one last time…

And then… she saw two glimmering lights.  She quickly realized they were Kaito’s eyes.

Light engulfed his body, until he completely glowed with silver.  And… it seemed as though before her eyes Kaito was no longer there.

Whatever was _left_ shot through the air towards her, far faster than she fell.  And before she touched the ground… she found herself atop something soft.  She turned her body over and finally became aware of two things.

One.  She was flying.  _She was flying._   The buildings and streets growing smaller as she flew further away.

Two… she was not doing the flying.  She was atop a gigantic, sleek white bird with a golden beak.

She clutched the bird’s long neck tightly, not knowing it was aware of their destination… but she knew.  She knew.

_Kaito had saved her._

 

Gakupo watched a brilliant light erupt in the direction of the tower.  He grew startled – surely this was Kaito’s doing but… that meant very little.

And then he saw it.

Streaking through the sky, he laid his eyes on a truly holy sight he’d never expected to behold in his lifetime.

 

“ _Sujata Hama…”_ Luka whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

And it was flying through the sky towards _her_.  Even Lily had ceased her attack to stare at the creature as it circled the Kotori Broadcast Tower.

 

Len ran up the stairs, trying to get a better look at the miraculous sight.  He heard Rin’s quick footsteps behind him.  He’d given up hope on Miku’s survival but now he was certain he’d just watched Kaito leap to certain death and change into a bird…

The bird continued to circle the tower, singing the most wondrous ballad Len had ever heard.  It was Kaito’s voice emerging from its enormous beak.  And resting atop the back… was Miku.  Safe and sound.

“MIKU!  KAITO!” Rin shouted, waving to the bird.

But either the bird couldn’t hear her or it didn’t understand.  Len grew fearful… what if Kaito had sacrificed his humanoid form forever!?  Did he truly love Miku so much?

“S…Spirit… Caller…”

He turned and gasped upon seeing the horrors wrought upon Neru.  She twitched and shook, trying to reach out to the bird.  And slowly… slowly her black wings turned white.

Rin ran over to the Herald, showing no fear.  She held Neru tightly as the Herald collapsed yet refused to stop watching the white bird.

As her wings became pure white, peace overtook her face.  “Thank… you…” she whispered.

Neru turned to light in Rin’s arms, the only remaining indication of her presence the mechanical pieces clattering to the floor of the deck.

The bird flapped its wings and departed the tower, a massive wave of light shining over it as it flew away.  “AH!  Kaito-niisan!  Come back!”

 

Gakupo tried to pursue the twisted Seruva as they ignored all signs of following orders to fly towards Sujata Hama.  “No!  I’ll not let you lay a hand on him!” he called out, but the trio outraced him.

He tossed a few spells at them, but could not break their flight path.  Like a beacon summoning them, the Seruva could not cease their trajectory.  He turned to see Lily catching up to him and he prepared to fight her.

When Sujata Hama arrived, Gakupo realized quickly his caution was overzealous.  The bird flew past them, beating its wings as a wonderful melody passed into his ears.  Gakupo felt peace and tranquility as he’d never experienced flow into his body.

Before he could react to the bird or its pigtailed passenger, the feeling passed and Sujata Hama was gone, continuing its flight across the city.

“Ga… Gakupo?”

He turned to see his Commander hovering before him, her wings once more pure white, her features properly Seruvic.  Not a trace of fury remained.  “Commander… you’re back…”

As he reached out to her, she flew backwards, as if frightened of him.  Or possibly frightened of herself?  Perhaps both at once…

“No… no I can’t... I….”

She turned to see her comrades, once more men again and looking confused and scared.  She nodded her head and the four of them flew away.  Gakupo wished to chase them… to reassure them… but he let them leave.  They needed time.

 _He_ needed time.  For he’d witnessed a miracle.

 

Oliver stared at the monitoring station footage from the broadcast tower in utter shock.  The Seruva had _this_ kind of power?

Even the normally unflappable Leon beheld a look of surprise.  “We had a Seruva _that_ strong in our possession?”

He clicked his tongue.  “No wonder he was the first one to actually _escape_.  I’m starting to wonder how our retrieval teams ever captured him in the first place.”

Oliver tried to run through all the facts about Seruva that he knew, but “they turn into birds” was not one of them.  “The legends of the End always depict a white bird… and a black bird.”

Apparently Leon finally knew something his son didn’t.  “I never did translate all of the text, but I know this much.  If that monstrosity is flying around Tsubasa City… than the Seruva are planning another massacre.”

Oliver pulled at the cuffs around his hands in futility.  “You know we don’t have a solider here that can stand up to him, right?” he said, “You need me to…”

“… fail to capture him yet again?”

Leon waved his hands dismissively.  “Capturing him will be surprisingly simple, really.  He’s apparently a simple man if he’s willing to dive off a tower to certain death just to rescue his girl.”

Of course Leon couldn’t understand an emotion so “base” as love.

The blonde executive pulled out his smart phone.  “Flower?  How close are you?”

“Al and Ann won’t obey you!” Oliver howled.

Leon rolled his eyes, as if mildly annoyed.  “Tell Mayu to input the following instructions into the Voice Synthesis engine…”

 

As Rin stared over the railing and watched Kaito flying away, she couldn’t help but feel victorious.  They’d scored an incredible victory… they’d beaten the Herald… they’d cheated Death… and surely Kaito was safe and when she found him again they could all finally be together as Vocaloids again!

Two loud thudding sounds announced the arrival of Big Sweet on the upper deck.  Len grabbed Rin’s hand.  “Oh come on, give it UP!” he shouted.

The duo barreled forward and the twins prepared to blow them away for good.  Lightning flew from their fingertips…

… and Rin felt the electronic pulses of a taser jolt through her.  Their melody broken, she fell hard to the deck…

In seconds, Big Al had her pinned to the ground.  “L… Len!” she gasped.

“Rin!” he coughed, similarly pinned by the wild Sweet Ann.

The twins heard several footsteps pounding up the stairs.  Rin craned her head and immediately recognized the uniforms.  They were Mirror employees, and every one of them was armed.  She felt all of her confidence flee her… what did her parents want with her now?!

“Hold them,” A disaffected, deep female voice ordered.

A woman in a black dress and white lab coat, her messy white and black hair fluttering over her hair, approached the pair.  She lugged a massive suitcase behind her, the wheels squeaking as it dragged along the deck.  She stopped in front of Rin, her eyes showing little engagement.

She popped open the suitcase and Rin’s eyes grew wide as she spied all sorts of surgical equipment inside.  She tried to pull away from Big Al, but the enormous man held her fast.

“So strange of Ollie to change his mind like this…” Sweet Ann whispered, “I thought they were 100% off limits…”

“The needs of the project supplant even familial love,” the woman remarked.

Big Al let out a whistle.  “Even Oliver!?  Never thought he’d be the type to just throw _anyone_ out like that…”

“Oliver…” Len choked, “Is he… is he really alive?!”

Rin was near tears.  Oliver would never do this… Oliver loved them… Oliver would never hurt them and he would never betray them and he would never order people to hurt anyone…

“The Heart’s son, yes.”

“OLIVER WOULD NEVER DO THIS!” Rin shouted vociferously.

The woman pulled out a needle and a jar of liquid.  “Oliver knows as well as I do.  The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

“The needs… of the few…” Sweet Ann whispered, and her voice sounded shakier.

Rin thought she could hear a voice going through Big Al’s headpiece, but she couldn’t quite make it out.  The grotesque man appeared satisfied with whatever he’d been told, though consternation remained upon his face.

Before Rin could utter another word, the needle was in her neck and she felt hazy.  Not unconscious, but as though the world around her meant little.  Scientifically, she understood this as a “twilight anesthesia”…

Rin’s mind became a blank as she saw a scalpel move past her face, the woman’s hands moving the collar of her shirt back and touching the skin at the base of her neck….

 

Kaito finally became aware of himself again as he lay on his back in soft grass.  The setting sun cast myriad red hues across the summer sky.  He pressed a hand to his forehead, checking to see that he still existed… that he was still here.

Then he remembered clearly the events on top of the tower and… “MIKU!”

He bolted up immediately, find her staring straight at him in stunned silence.  “Miku… you’re alive…”

He immediately reached forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.  She returned it at once and Kaito just felt grateful he’d saved her life.  He looked over her head and saw the rolling waves of the ocean.  The two of them sat atop a pleasant hilltop, overlooking Tsubasa City from a position of tranquility.  A tall tree rustled its leaves as the wind tossed it around.

... though something clearly seemed to still be bothering Miku.  He pulled back and looked her over, inspecting for any lasting wounds.

“Miku… what’s wrong?”

“You… you really don’t notice?”

Now Kaito felt scared… had something happened to him?  He checked his hands and patted his body down quickly, seeing no strange appendages or unusual features.  He raised his head again.  “No?”

He tried to recall what had just taken place… he’d dove from the top of the tower, trying to force his body to “soar” so he could sing the melody and save Miku’s life.  Yet the rush of power that filled him still made the last hour hazy… he remembered grabbing her… he remembered her being safe… the entire city blurring beneath him as he flapped his wings and…

‘…wings.’

Finally… finally he noticed… the white feathers caught in the grass.  Tumbling in the wind.  He clutched at one in disbelief… then he turned his head and finally understood.  He stretched two muscles he’d not been able to use in weeks and his silhouette changed in the shadow he cast on the ground…

 

Kaito had wings.

Miku began to cry for him, seeing him light up as he started to understand.  He stood up, reaching his hand out and grabbed at the lost appendages as if he didn’t believe they could be real.  His face shifted from shock to jubilation and he swept Miku up in his arms.  She felt her feet lift off the ground as he flew a few meters higher, laughing and crying with joy.

“Miku, I’m not… I’m not broken anymore…”

As the two of them landed, Kaito released the girl and started to walk towards the shade tree.  He stared at it long and hard.

In the back of Miku’s mind, she’d wondered why of any place in the city, he had taken her _here_.  The site of the last happy day she had with her parents.  An old hope sprung up in her heart as he surveyed his surroundings again.

Her heart pounded as she saw him placing his hands along the trunk, staring up into the boughs above.  Kaito leapt into the air, disappearing into the branches for a few moments.  She followed behind him, staring up into the trees and watching him sit along two thick branches.

_“I’ll be right here, even if you get older… Today and tomorrow, I’ll keep on singing the continuation of your dream”_

An old song Miku loved as a child, from a television drama she watched every week that summer with her parents…

 _Kaito was singing it from memory_.

 

The memories felt so fragmented yet so clear in Kaito’s mind as he tried to reassemble them… he’d curled up in the tree and cried to himself out of fear… he was alone, he’d been abandoned, and he was surrounded by humans… where could he go?  He had to protect himself from the Elders… but he couldn’t trust humanity!

He’d never felt so alone, weak, and frightened… he hadn’t even told his mother goodbye…

_“…Forever I’ll keep watching the precious light once lit not to go out…“_

As Miku sang another line from the phantom song in his memory, Kaito stared down the branches and saw her in an entirely new way.

A girl skipping up the hill, a basket in her hands as she sang to herself.  At first he’d been terrified!  What if a human saw him!?  And how rotten his luck, she spread a blanket down and beckoned for her family to join her right at the trunk… just one look up and he’d be exposed…

He couldn’t fly away without drawing attention… he’d stayed deathly quiet as the family ate lunch together.  All the while, the pigtailed girl slipping into that song…

He’d learned that day that humans loved to sing.

Gradually his child self’s fear receded as his curiosity overtook him.  How close that family looked.  He wished he could have had that…

Too soon the girl and her family packed their things up and left.  Kaito remembered wanting to follow them… maybe if he talked to the girl by herself… maybe he could find somewhere safe!  But shyness and fear prevented him from leaving the tree…

Until… Kaito heard a horrible squealing noise followed by a loud, heavy crunch in the direction she'd left in and he immediately chased after her…

 

Kaito leapt from the tree and gripped Miku in his arms without speaking.  She trusted him and suspected she understood why he needed to do this.  He took flight, holding her tightly.   Miku didn’t even trust herself to speak because she remembered this feeling, of being ferried through the sky by _that person_ …

Kaito dove down the hills, and she remembered the sensation of falling… the fear and pain and expectation of death, but this time she didn’t need anyone to catch her because Kaito’s grip remained firm and steady.

And then suddenly he swung out of his dive, launching the both of them into the sky… singing his healing ballad though she wasn’t hurt…

…carrying her over the city, past the buildings, across the sea, the scent of the salt spray dragging up her memories…

Then all too soon the flight ended and Kaito alighted atop the hill.  The only difference being this time… Kaito didn’t let go and leave.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save them,” he whispered into her ear.

Miku buried her face in his chest as he uttered the same words his childhood-self had spoken to her.  She wasn’t wrong… it _was_ Kaito… he was real…

“I… I finally found you…” she sobbed, “I spent my whole life searching and… I found you…”

“They tried to steal you from me, Miku… but I came back to you anyway…”

Kaito kissed the top of her head.  “I’ll never let them take you from me again…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So pretty much everyone guessed Kaito was the boy who saved Miku.  I expected that – really now, we haven't met any other blue-haired Seruva and Kaito already had amnesia ;)  Much like some of the other "easy" secrets I gave away, the game for the reader was never meant to be "Who's the blue haired boy?" since that's pretty obvious.  The game is "why did he forget?" We haven't answered that yet.
> 
> These action packed chapters sure are shorter than the earlier ones.  With so much less setup needed, it's a lot easier to barrel through the big scenes and not get overly wordy :)
> 
> Five chapters left guys.  We're so close.
> 
>  **Song Credits:**  Sweet Ann and Big Al sing the original duet “[Headline Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTDS_hMlguc)” by Koda-P.
> 
> Seemed appropriate to sing a song about fame on the top of a broadcast tower (the song itself uses a style to mimic the gimmicky intros of American headline news.)
> 
> Kaito and Miku sang “[Continuation of the Dream](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lPWWaCwBBE)”… a song Kaito actually doesn’t sing, but I justify that with him singing it because Miku did ;)


	16. Electric Angel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito's eyes are to the future as the possibilities of his connection to a god open before him. But a sinister trap has already been laid for the white guardian, and the true power of the Gemini is about to be unleashed upon the Vocaloids.

As Dr. Flower marched into the secure compound, she kept her eyes on her charges.  The FX modules, codenamed “Big Sweet,” appeared far more temperamental.  She’d ensured Mayu relayed orders to them to get them into hibernation again, but the contradiction in orders from “Oliver” clearly bothered them.

There were few people in the facility that could actually take the full fury of Big Al and Sweet Ann on the loose.  They were previously the pinnacle in anti-Seruva technology… if one only counted their sheer brute force.  The lack of ability to control them proved a dangerous flaw, however.  Even killing them proved nearly impossible given their unique mix of organic and cybernetic components.

Relying on the Heart’s son to control them proved an even greater hazard.  As he’d proven hours before, even the conditional love of his parents proved little force for him.  Replicating his voice finally freed the company to make use of the FX modules without relying on the shifting loyalties of a perpetual youth.

But once she got them into hibernation… she could get them implanted and this issue would be dealt with.  She hoped she wouldn’t experience the same performance downgrade she observed with the self-proclaimed “Herald”.

She pulled a phone to her ear, dialing Mayu again.  “How close are we to full implementation of the CV units?”

Her partner in science released a disturbing giggle.  “We’ve got more than half of them converted now.  I’m saving the best for _him_ of course.”

Mayu’s eccentric personality aside… the quality of her work couldn’t be argued.  She may not be gentle with her test subjects… but she remained efficient.

“Have they decided what to do with the Choir Boy yet?”

It wasn’t even worth the farce of calling him the Heart’s son anymore.  Blood relative or not, he’d long ceased to be seen as one.  But she still needed to be careful while in earshot of the FX modules.

“We’re salvaging him in the morning once we can spare crew.  I expect we’ll learn a lot about him.  What worked, what didn’t.”

She let out a sigh.  “I wish I could inspect the Geminis as closely… grow Seruva that don’t need to work in pairs…”

“The Geminis are too critical,” Flower reminded her, “If the Seruva are planning war with humanity, they’re our best bet.  We can get _him_ but… there's a certain number of unknowns.”

She marched into her lab, keeping an eye on Big Sweet until she saw them enter hibernation as ordered.  She found herself releasing a sigh of relief – even being near them upset her.  “I expect we’ll receive him within the next few hours.”

A man that could call down the wrath of the heavens themselves.

Her scientific mind tingled with elation.  If she _could_ succeed in controlling him… nothing could challenge them.

Otherwise… at least she'd be depriving _them_ of their ultimate weapon.

 

Kaito lay on his side in the grass, holding Miku as if afraid she would be stolen from him.  She still had trouble grasping that the blue haired boy she’d taken into her home, vowed to protect, and slowly fell in love with… was the boy that saved her life all of those long years ago.

The person she’d vowed to find, to sing to, to reassure that his brave rescue had meant something.

Kiyoteru had inspired her to build a band, but her search for the fate of the winged boy drove her to create Vocaloids.  To find just the right people to stand with her and her reason and sing until he _had_ to hear her.  To use the reasons in their own hearts to motivate them to work as hard as they had to so four dreams could come true instead of just one.

As Miku snuggled closer to him, she carefully lowered her arms under his wings.  She’d have to get used to Kaito _with_ them now… where was he going to sleep now?  That futon barely fit someone as tall as Kaito in the first place, it certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable now that he had a pair of wings on his back.

"They stole you from me…" he whispered, drawing her closer.

"Kaito… how did it happen?"

He brushed her head with his hand.  "There was a rift in the Islands, just like the one Gakupo almost opened up.  The Elders knew about it... maybe it's even where they experimented on Meiko…"

She felt his grip tighten.  "No… it _must_ be because… because they made her do it…"

The way Kaito spoke, he still sounded somewhat unsure, as if he was still trying to piece together the last parts of his missing past.  "They tracked me down because they saw me after I… after I rescued you.  It didn't take a group of trained adults long to retrieve a child…"

He swallowed.  "I refused to go back.  Luka had warned me about the Seal.  I kept shouting that I wouldn't let them do it… I actually fought them and everything… when I realized what they did to Luka, how could I trust them?!  I didn't even care if they took my wings…"

Miku pushed her head closer to his chest, hoping somehow being closer to him could grant him some measure of the peace he so desperately sought.

"They took me to the rift… they said they had to crush the 'rebellion' in my heart before I destroyed the tribe… and… I remember the way they talked Meiko into using her powers…"

Miku didn't even let him finish.  "For the good of the Seruva?"

Kaito nodded his head.  "She drew power out of the rift and… she basically started rooting through my head and tearing them out… all of my memories of being here amongst humans… my memories of saving you… the memories of Luka escaping with me… but that wasn't enough for them."

Kaito had his eyes closed as his story wound down.  "Meiko was begging them not to make her, but… she started rooting through my head to rip out every memory I ever had of Luka.  But she couldn't do that with precision so… I lost so many more memories than that… "

"When she was done… I collapsed.  I don't think my body could take something so invasive for much longer.  I must have been unconscious for weeks… and when I woke up…”

He fell silent for a few moments before finishing.  “All I knew was… I didn’t remember vast sections of my life… they were telling me someone tried to kill me… and my mother was dead.  They must have Sealed me before I woke up.  And they told me those stories… to frighten me into obedience.”

He didn't feel frightened now.  Even as he told of such a horrible experience, he felt calm and solid.  So different from the person she'd met who could barely keep his composure around her.

"Kaito… I'm glad you're not a normal boy."

He looked into her eyes in confusion before his eyes widened in recognition as he remembered his words to her.  "If you were… I'd never have met you.  I would have died when my body hit the ground… and I never would have made the friends I did and had the life that I did…"

She smiled warmly.  "Vocaloids wouldn't even exist…"

Kaito brushed his fingers under Miku’s chin and she felt her nerves tingle.  She curled up closer, lifting her face to his and kissing him.  She’d loved him whether he was the boy who saved her or not.  Whether he had wings or not.  But to have both, her mystery boy and Kaito as the same person?

As the sun set over the reunited couple, Miku found herself far less interested about whether Kaito’s wings fit on her futon.  She couldn’t even safely go home anyway… too many people wanted Kaito, and she doubted they’d let her leave by now anyway.

Couldn’t they, just for once, have this moment, under the darkened sky and the stars, where they could simply be _lovers_?

“I’m never letting them take you from me again.”

His eyes were so intense.  “So… you’re just going to stay here?  On Earth?  Pretending to be human even though you have wings again?”

Kaito started to laugh.  “I’m a Vocaloid now, remember?  What do you think Rin and Len would say if I abandoned the group just like that?”

His eyes fell over the ocean and his voice felt so light.  “Maybe… maybe you won’t need a plane to fly to your first concert.  I’ll just carry you.”

She almost thought he was serious until he start chuckling.  He was _joking_.  But she couldn’t helped but laugh at his weird sense of timing.  Maybe Gakupo was rubbing off on him.  “You know something Kaito?  I’ve never even been to Tokyo…”

She stared at the sea and imagined all the television shows she’d seen.  As impressive as Tsubasa City was… Tokyo was supposed to be so different.  Millions of people, landmarks, temples, technology…

“Tokyo was… the capital, right?”

“Ah!  You remembered!   Good job!” Miku said, “I always chickened out at taking a train and going out there.  Luka never went either… I guess she had her own reasons.  Rin and Len went once and they said they’d never had so much fun before…”

Which must have meant something since they would have had their _parents_ with them.

“…I can fly you anywhere you want to go…” Kaito said.  He sounded so excited, did he not understand just how large Earth really was?  Surely he’d eventually tire…

Still… why not have some fun?  While they were waiting to hear from their friends?

“Kaito, Earth has so many exciting places… I want to see Mt. Everest!  It’s the world’s tallest mountain!  I bet if we stood up there, we could see for thousands of kilometers!”

Every dream destination Miku ever imagined rushed into her head as she imagined going there with Kaito.  “In Germany, they have this beautiful castle, like right out of a fairy tale!  Like a Cinderella castle!  And in Paris, the food is supposed to be the best in the world!  In Venice people paddle everywhere in boats!”  
  
She could barely stop herself.  “The tallest building in the world is in Dubai!  Ah, it’s in a desert!  I’ve never even seen a desert… like an ocean of sand!  And in China there’s a wall that stretches for hundreds of miles!  And… and…”

As she took a breath, Kaito burst into laughter.  “Miku… I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.  I promise.”

They couldn’t go anywhere until they knew everyone was safe.  But… maybe that was just more of a motivation to save the world.  “Kaito… can you tell me… what your home is like?”

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky awash in red and purple.  “It… smells different.  You can’t smell smoke and exhaust.  It’s kind of nice.  Maybe there’s places on Earth like that too...”

“There were so many places I could find quiet.  Those… those were my favorite after mother died.  The Verdant Plains, the grass just stretches on and on, like a big sheet of shimmering green fabric.”

Miku closed her eyes and tried to let Kaito’s descriptions of his home take her away.  “The Saphir Lakes are where we bring in most of our water.  You fly towards them just right, they start glittering like jewels in the sun!”

His voice picked up in momentum as he seemed to get caught up in telling stories about his home.  “Ahhh, I loved the Echo Rocks when I was a kid!  You’d fly out there and just start shouting… your voice bounced for so long!  And even if you sang by yourself, it sounded like a choir sang with you…”

The momentum fell.  “I… I want you to see it too.”

She opened her eyes again and Kaito was looking down at her, dead serious in his expression.  “I’ll figure something out… so you can see the Islands too.”

Would Kaito truly risk his much cherished wings again to show Miku his home?

Suddenly Miku felt like Juliet, trying to find a way to stay with her Romeo… willing to give up anything to remain with him, promising to taste the bitter apple…

As Kaito curled his hand around the back of her head and drew her closer, she found herself wanting so much more of him than before… as their kissing intensified, she started unzipping his jacket and slipping her hands under his shirt, running her hands along his bare chest and feeling his toned muscles.

He seemed to share her feelings because his hands began to move lower and lower, stroking her thighs and slowly moving up and under her red skirt…

Was Miku to be Juliet, torn from the doomed Romeo?  Tonight she felt like Cinderella, her beloved Prince searching far and wide until he found her…

United under the moonlight, “Juliet” bound herself to “Romeo”.

 

Rin pushed herself off the floor of the observation deck as she returned to consciousness.  Her neck ached, but she couldn’t place why…

“What happened?” she groaned.

Len rose as well, looking dizzy.  “I… I remember Sweet Ann and Big Al… and Kaito turning into a bird… he was singing or something…”

Rin tried to remember what happened before she was knocked out… she knew something scary happened besides being worried about Kaito…

_Go back to your base._

Rin blinked.  “Did you say something, Len?”

Len seemed similarly confused as he stood up.  “I dunno… but… we should probably just head back to the base… it’s the safest place to wait for Kaito, right?”

“Y… yea…” Rin said, “I’ll text Miku once we get there…”

Her heart pounded… something still felt wrong, and her neck still ached.  But her head felt fuzzy… she needed to just go back to her base and she’d feel better, she was sure of it…

 

“I must confess I never thought we’d struggle this much attempting to locate a giant bird.  I do hope that means he’s back to his normal shape.”

Luka found herself laughing at Gakupo’s commentary in spite of the serious situation as her eyes scanned the skyline, trying to provide a second set of eyes to that of a trained Seruva warrior in the darkened night skies.  “He wasn’t on top of the buildings downtown… I’m not even certain he left Tsubasa City but that could be a possibility…”

Unfortunately, Luka had lost her phone during her last fight with Lily, losing an easy method of communication.  If only she could just contact Miku, surely the girl would tell her where the two of them were…

A quick flight past Kotori Broadcast Tower had revealed the Kagamines were missing as well.  Luka hoped it meant they were looking for Kaito or heading back to the “super-secret awesome base”.  A ground search seemed difficult given the general chaos in the streets as people began to recover from the Herald’s attack.

So that just meant locating Kaito and Miku and regrouping.  They needed to know about Meiko and the corrupted Seruva.

Still… after seeing all four of the Seruva she and Gakupo and tussled with reverted back to their original forms, Luka dared to hope that Kaito had uncovered a way to save all of them at once.  She couldn’t imagine how many of the Seruva Meiko could have gotten to.

“Would the warrior caste have just… given themselves up like that?” Luka found herself asking.

Gakupo seemed to be thinking it over.  “It would depend on how it was presented to them…” he mused aloud, “I doubt Commander Lily would have gone along with it under any circumstance. That would have given her trouble.  Then again…”

The pair dipped lower as the cover of buildings began to shrink.  “I’ve no idea what sort of chaos reigned during the coup attempt.  The Elders dead, the Spirit Caller missing, and the culprit loose?”

When he put things _that_ way… the Seruva relied on orders and proclamations.  Rigid traditions and social classes.  To have every one of them overturned in a short period of time could have granted Meiko more than enough frightened volunteers.

“Once we’ve ensured the safety of our own numbers… We will need to deal with her.”

“If Kaito can summon Sujata Hama again… We might have a fighting chance.”

Even though Luka had spent so many years among human kind, her past life as a priestess still made her recognize the holy significance of Sujata Hama’s appearance.  She, like the other priests, assumed they would never witness such a spectacle.  Its appearance signified either the presence of miracles… or the presence of omens.

Because seeing Sujata Hama meant Sujata Raka could not be far behind.

None of the stories suggested that the Spirit Caller actually _became_ either of the guardians however.  She hoped that Kaito’s mind was still intact after experiencing so much power at once.  So many of his abilities lay even beyond her comprehension…

As they left the denser city behind, Luka spied some of the familiar hills and began to scan them for whomever she could find.  Perhaps Kaito had landed out here?

She began to sing a simple melody, creating a small ball of pink light and holding it aloft.  She hoped Kaito would recognize it if he was out here…

 

Kaito watched the night sky, his heart possessing a rare sense of peace.  Miku lay next to him, still clutched to him and wrapped in his coat.  He held her body close, feeling closer to Miku than ever, their hearts forever bound together.

Even though so much danger remained in the world, he felt as though he had a way to tackle it from now on. A clear path forward.  And then?

He could go anywhere he wished.  Do whatever he wanted.  Because he would always have Miku by his side.

“Grr… Still no sign of Luka, and Rin and Len aren't picking up either!”

Miku let out a frustrated sigh as she stared at her phone.  “Now I'm getting worried.”

“I could go look for them!” Kaito volunteered.

“That might not be such a bad idea… Ah!  What’s that light?!”

As Kaito spied the pink light he quickly suspected its origin.  He tried to straighten his clothes, tucking his loose shirt back into his pants before he created a small white ball of light.  “It’s Luka…” he warned.

Apparently Miku took that as the same cue to make herself more presentable, trying to smooth out her clothes and run a hand through her disheveled hair.   She threw Kaito his jacket, and he quickly slipped it back on as he watched the pink light flashing as it approached.  Soon he could make out the faces of his dearest friends as they landed.  He held his breath as they walked through the grass and finally saw him, alive and well… and once more a true Seruva.

Luka approached him with quick steps, freezing in front of him as she took in the sight of his wings again.  After a few moments, she dove forward and gave Kaito an excited hug.  “You… you did it… by the ancestors, you did it…”

He heard a familiar laughter as Gakupo approached him as well.  “First you survive an incurable disease, then you reclaim irretrievable limbs!” he said cheerfully, “I can only imagine what impossibility you intend to trounce next!”

As Luka released him, Kaito saw the signs of tears in her eyes.  He began to realize how cruel it must appear to her, for him to regain his use of flight so quickly while she’d spent years bound to the earth as a Val’Sharess.  “Kaito, you must tell us… how did you survive!?  How did you summon Sujata Hama?”

Kaito looked to Miku and smiled.  “Miku’s song allowed the spirits of the Heralds I freed to shatter my seal and set me free of the Noise.  As for Sujata Hama… they taught me the melody…”

“… he dove off the broadcast tower to rescue me.”

Luka’s jaw dropped.  “Kaito!  You’re… you’re so reckless now!”

He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.  “They said I’d be able to recall it when next I soared… so I tried to think of what it felt like to fly when I jumped off and…”

He recalled the rush of power flowing through his body… the sensation of becoming something so large and powerful and great...

“… the notes just flew into my head and I sang them at once.”

Miku pressed up against him.  “And… and Luka, that wasn’t even the first time Kaito’s saved me!  When you brought him to Tsubasa City all those years ago… he was the boy that broke my fall!”

At that a sign of elation washed over Luka.  When she spoke, her melody appeared so calm, as though she was releasing years of guilt.  “Then my sacrifices meant something, after all…” she said, “They allowed Miku to live.”

Such a strange cycle of events… had Luka never fled with Kaito, Miku would have died… had Gakupo not tried to overthrow the Seruva… Kaito would have died… and neither he nor Luka would have ever met.  He began to see a chain of divine events laid out before him.

“So.  You can summon Sujata Hama at will?” Gakupo asked.

He stared out into the emptier areas of Tsubasa City.  “We’re going to need it… while Luka and I were searching for a way to restore you, we located what we think is the staging grounds of a Seruva invasion of Earth.”

Kaito gasped.  “Meiko was _serious?!”_

“Oh right, you didn’t know about them!” Miku gasped, “She was turning other Seruva into monsters just like what she did to Gakupo!”

Gakupo winced for a moment – Kaito suspected his experience would remain a sore area for him for some time.  “She… used the Harbinger to murder the Elders as well,” he said calmly.

Kaito’s heart plunged into his stomach.  Certainly he now had little _love_ for the men that had so thoroughly ruled his life and ruined so many others, but to wish them dead? 

“I… I had gone out of my way not to spill blood… Meiko thought otherwise.”

It did comfort him some to see Gakupo ashamed of his actions instead of happy though.

“Gakupo… you were used.  Just as I was.”

Kaito saw no point in dwelling further – not in the face of a major crisis when Gakupo’s skills would come in handy.  “So you want me to summon Sujata Hama and set them all free, right?!”

His friend nodded.  “We must end this invasion _before_ it happens. Most of the humans here won’t survive a Seruva assault.  And especially not from people like… _them._ ”

Again those difficult tones as Gakupo no doubt started to relive being possessed by Noise.  After Kaito’s experience being dragged around by it and nearly torn into nothing, he appreciated the effects it could have on the minds of even someone as strong-willed as Gakupo.  “It should be easy then… maybe if we lured them to one spot… I could summon Sujata Hama and sing for them!”

He walked out to the edge of the hill, his hand on the tree trunk.  He calmly tried to recall the notes from the melody again.  But something was different this time.  He would try to sing the melody as he'd performed it but it felt as though the notes were trying to rearrange themselves into another song entirely.  Not as before where he was simply incapable of recalling them… but as he mentally tried to re-enact the song, he grew worried as he noted the new melody sounded downright… dissonant.

"Something's wrong…" he murmured, "The Hymn I sang keeps trying to transform itself."

"You were going to sing it _right now?!"_ Luka exclaimed, "Kaito, it's best that you hold back… you have to have drawn a great deal of attention to yourself as it is."

He hadn't even considered that.  Meiko herself had wanted to claim the power he'd expressed.  No doubt so did Mirror – they'd already gone out of their way to target him once, how did he know he was safe?  "You don't think they're looking for me again, do you?"

"Don't worry Kaito, you're not by yourself, and we already know what kind of tricks they'll try to pull!" Miku shouted to reassure him.

Indeed… he and his friends were stronger than ever.  He tried to reflect on why he'd been given this song in the first place, what the Heralds told him as he revived on Earth.  They warned him about the approach of the "End."  That how he used this power could affect it.

"The Heralds warned me of something else… the end of the world is coming."

Kaito shook his head as he thought of it.  "The Noise is flowing freely and it's only going to get worse now that I escaped my Seal."

He stared out at the lights in the houses, every one of them representing to Kaito a life in danger.  "We need some way to destroy it."

"You believe Sujata Hama can do this?" Luka asked.

"I don't believe they would have passed the knowledge of the ballad on to me if they thought it wouldn't be useful," Kaito mused out loud, "If only I had a way to get at the source though… it's actually a living entity.  It tried to swallow me up in the abyss of souls.  If I could strike at that somehow…"

"What about that rift!?" Miku suggested.

"Indeed… the Noise was… quite insistent on compelling me to tear one open," Gakupo said, his notes reflecting signs of guilt again, "Perhaps if we took you to one of those and you cast the ballad _there…_ "

A world without Noise.  No more Heralds, no more generators, no more corruption.  Both Mirror and Meiko would be undercut in their efforts in the city.

He could make _peace_.

"If I ended the Noise… if I put humans and Seruva back on equal terms… then… maybe we could unite them as well."

"Eh?  Kaito?" Luka sounded surprised, "You want humans and Seruva to live _together_?"

All he could think of was how badly he hated having to choose one world or the other.  Because of an ancient conflict that never truly resolved.  The time he'd spent on Earth proved to him that humans had the capacity for good.  And he already believed in the Seruva as well, especially with the suffocating effects of the Elders broken. 

"Kaito… you mean you want to create a world where I can go to the Islands too?"

He turned to Miku and smiled.  "The only reason I would ever return to the Islands… is if I could take you with me."

Miku blushed deeply.  "Hmmm… that would be nice…" Gakupo mused aloud, "I haven't seen the Verdant Plains in awhile…"

Luka's melody reveal her sad longing.  "I still miss the Rainbow Falls…" she breathed.

Kaito silently promised to himself that he would do everything he could to find some way to grant Luka her wings again.

_"If I can tell much of what I want, will it be nice? The feelings that I have now! Red? Blue? White? How vague it is if I'm going to love you, greater than anyone in this world, will it be nice?"_

Miku's ringing phone drew her attention at once – it was Rin's ringtone.  She turned it on immediately.  "Rin!  Are you and Len okay?  We haven't heard from you!"

"Yea, we're totally fine!" she said cheerfully, "Len and I got away from Big Sweet… did Kaito take care of the Herald?"

"Yea… Neru's gone!  You aren't going to BELIEVE everything that happened!"

She looked to Kaito and winked.  Wouldn't they be surprised to see him with his wings again?! "Where are you two right now?"

"We're on our way to Gumi's super ultra-awesome land!" Rin said, "We can meet up there and talk secrets and stuff!"

Miku snickered and hung up.  "Hey, Rin and Len want to meet up at Gumi's place," she said, "It wouldn't be a bad idea.  We're all a mess, and we all need to share information."

Miku made a face.  "I mean, I really need a shower for goodness sake!"

Luka chuckled. "I wouldn't mind getting out of these sweats and into some real clothes!"

"Indeed, and I'd like to spend some time devising a proper battle strategy for what we're trying to accomplish next."

Kaito smiled at Miku.  "I just want to see Rin and Len again."

The blue haired man approached Miku and put his arms around her, carefully lifting her body up.  "We'll be there in no time now," he said with a broad smile.

As the two of them launched into the air, Miku leaned into Kaito's body.  She felt his grip on her tighten as well – how little they ever needed to speak about what they felt for each other.  'Ah… I wonder if it's like this for Luka when Gakupo carries her around…'

She glanced at her other two friends and her face turned bright red – they were _kissing_ in the air.  'Can… can Gakupo even see like that?!'

 

Miku held out her phone like a flashlight to illuminate the dark tunnels.  She kept an eye out for anything unusual as she did so.  Gakupo mentioned they didn't appear to be followed, but she was paranoid.

But soon enough they approached the bend towards Gumi's makeshift home.  In the middle of the tunnel stood Rin and Len, staring straight at them.

"Ah!  There they are, there they are!"

"Uh… yea, I can _tell_ Rin."

"Waiiiit…"

She rushed forward and Kaito came to a stop.  "AH!  Kaito-niisan, you got your wings back!"

Kaito beamed at her.  "It's a long story…" he said, "We can talk about it back at Gumi's."

Rin skipped forward and started poking Kaito's wings.  He looked at her oddly.  "Um… yes, they're real Rin…"

Without skipping a beat, she looked to Gakupo.  "Gaku-niichan, it's okay, yours are still softer."

Miku had _never_ seen Gakupo get flustered until this moment, when his face turned bright red.  He stumbled for something to say, finally giving up and letting the odd moment drop.  The pigtailed girl couldn't help but snicker at seeing the unflappable samurai bested by Rin's obliviousness.

"I'm glad you guys are all right," Len said, obviously ignoring his sister being… his sister.  "When Kaito turned into a bird like that, we didn’t know what to do!"

"Kaito-niisan, can I get a ride some time!?" Rin begged.

Kaito laughed half-heartedly.  "I… I don't think that's something I can use the power for…"

Before their conversation could continue, Miku heard the familiar buzzing of Gumi's scooter.  "Wait, is she riding it in the middle of the tunnel?!" Miku exclaimed.

"We… should probably make sure she's okay…" Luka said nervously.

The group turned and ran towards the sound.  Miku had her hand on her sword.  If someone had come for Gumi… they'd make them pay.

Miku turned down the tunnel and gasped.  "K…Kaito!  Run!" she cried out as she saw dozens of humans with guns pointed at them.

"FIRE!"

A white shield blocked Miku from the sudden bursts of weapons fire.  "I'm not going to run away, Miku!" Kaito cried out.

Gakupo drew his weapon and prepared to fly forward… Miku heard Luka's voice chanting a new ballad.  She heard the twin tones of Rin and Len performing a familiar zig-zagging melody.

She didn't expect to be the _target_ of that melody, but in seconds she felt the electricity slam into her body… just before she fell unconscious, she saw Kaito collapse next to her.

 

"RIN-CHAN!" Gakupo cried out as he saw the twins target their friends.

In seconds the human soldiers closed ranks around Kaito and Miku.  He'd have to break through them.  "We don't take him alive!  Full fire!"

Before anything could touch the warrior, he saw Luka form her shield.  Gakupo charged forward, watching the shield move with him.  With a clean slice he took out soldier after soldier with a wild smirk.

Then he heard the lightning ballad again and glanced for a second as Luka back flipped through the air away from the wild lightning bolts.  His shield shattered and he found himself having to retreat as he constructed a purple barrier for himself before he reached his targets.

He heard the echoes of thundering footsteps in the tunnels.  Another squad coming into the tunnels to back them up?!  He flew closer to Luka, slicing through a pair of force waves from the twins.  "Rin-chan, Len!  Can you hear me?!"

The most horrifying thing Gakupo had seen so far… the normally animated faces of the Kagamine twins stone solid, cold and calculating another move.  Had humans done this to them!?  "How did this happen!?"

"They must have gotten to them at the tower when they were by themselves…" Luka hissed.

As another squad cleared the corridor, Gakupo quickly understood the true purpose of these underground tunnels – it limited the mobility of a Seruva, forcing them to fight on a human's level.  His flight advantage was largely nullified.

As he and Luka tried to block the assault of multiple human weapons, he saw the twins leap into the air… and yellow light wings emerged from their backs.  "How?!" he shouted, "What are they!?"

Again, nothing but eerie silence as they hovered above them.  Gakupo watched the lightning about to rain upon him and Luka and he tried to form a thicker shield to block damage from all sides.  His barrier just barely formed in time but he could already feel it weakening under so much strain.

"Gakupo… I don't want to do this but… if they capture us as well…"

He gritted his teeth.  Two of his closest allies lay in grave danger, two more puppets for his foes.  It ran against every instinct he had to turn and retreat.  A samurai did not run from battle…

… he was _not_ a samurai.

His eyes scanned the tunnel seeking a way out.  His barrier wouldn't hold much longer… between the soldiers and the twins, all three cross tunnels were blocked.

He heard the revving of a scooter and in a few moments he saw out of the corner of his eye…

… Gumi scattering the soldiers to his left by trying to run them over with her scooter.

"MOVE IT JERKS!" she shouted, "Ranka-chan doesn't take prisoners!"

In the chaos of her arrival, Gakupo saw his opportunity.  He glanced up at Rin and Len.  "Rin-chan… Len… I'm sorry…" he whispered.

The purple shield glowed for only a second before a blast of energy erupted around him.

He grabbed Luka and flew in Gumi's direction.  Fortunately, the emerald-haired hacker seemed to understand his intent and swerved away, zooming back in the direction of her arrival.  A pink shield appeared behind him as Luka kept them free of gunfire.

"Where's Blue and Pigtails?!" Gumi shouted as she gained ground on Gakupo.

"They… they captured them…" Gakupo admitted.

"Freaks!" Gumi cursed, "They busted up my pad too… I didn’t manage to get any of my old gear… still got Leon's laptop though.  Hoping I can still get into my stuff with it."

Again Gakupo heard the zig-zagging melody and he turned sharply to avoid exploding lightning around him.  "The crap!?  Is that… Shortstuff and Creampuff?!"

The twins' artificial wings apparently allowed them to fly at the same speed as a true Seruva. 

"I'm starting to regret teaching them that lightning spell!" Luka shouted.

"Well then why not throw it back at them!?" Gumi shouted.

"If we wanted to _kill them_ , sure!" Gakupo yelled, "It's not a very precise spell!"

"We're not far from a tunnel opening!" Gumi yelled, "Think we can lose em' if we get up there!?"

He didn't _want_ to "lose them"…

Gakupo stayed in alignment behind Gumi, Luka working to counter every spell thrown at her while Gakupo hauled her through the air.  He saw a makeshift ramp and an exposed entrance cap to the surface.  "That… does not look safe…" he muttered.

"BANZAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

Gumi zoomed for the ramp and her scooter quickly became airborne, rocketing into the street above.  "Luka…"

"I know…"

The two cast their force wave as the ceiling collapsed around them.  He worked to avoid the debris, flying between the heavy rocks to avoid getting crushed.  Soon the entrance way was blocked.

Gakupo… had abandoned his allies.

His heart felt heavy as he flew to keep after Gumi.

 

As Kaito finally awoke, he let out a groan.  The last thing he remembered was preparing to fight humans… then he felt himself under attack by…

"Rin!  Len!" he exclaimed, his eyes flying open.

He looked around him and saw nothing but the tight cramped steel quarters, a solid glass and metal door keeping him solidly contained.  His heart pounding, he touched a hand to his throat and felt the familiar shock collar around his throat.  _'No!'_

He was at the lab… he was a prisoner again… he was an experiment and he'd been captured…

A voice over a speaker crackle to life.  "It's so good to see you again, little birdy!"

How could he forget that awful woman's voice?!  The one who tortured him with such glee.  "Where are Rin and Len!?" he shouted.

"The Geminis are being contained elsewhere, for safety reasons," she said glibly, "We wouldn't want anything to happen to them when the Seruva are going to attack, right?"

She giggled into the microphone, causing Kaito to shudder at her sick behavior.  "Didn't you want to know where your girlfriend is?"

 _They had Miku._   "What have you done to her?!" he hissed.

Another sickening giggle.  "Nothing yet… when she wakes up though… oh, I can't imagine the stories she'll tell us.  She must have all kinds of secrets if she's been hanging around with _you_."

"Miku is a normal human!" Kaito protested, "Release her, she's not part of this!"

"Oh… but she's been aiding _you_.  She's most certainly part of this."

The woman's voice grew darker.  "Besides… if you don't co-operate, you might need some motivation."

The speaker stopped crackling and the voice left.  Kaito slumped against the wall.  The first time he'd been held here, he'd been beside himself with fear.  While he still felt some fear… it was different this time.  He knew who they were, what they wanted, and why.

And this time he wasn't even frightened about not going home.

He had the power of Sujata Hama… and the humans wished to take it from him.  He knew that much for certain.  As long as he was wearing the collar, he couldn't summon it… but once the opportunity arose, he doubted they could easily contain a gigantic singing bird.

Then… he would set his friends free.

They'd been hurt because of him… but he would fix it.

Strangely, Kaito felt no more fear – only the determination that he would do anything to save the people he cared about.

_Arbiter._

Kaito stiffened as he realized, in the back of his mind, he heard a dissonant melody winding its way through his ears.

_Arbiter.  You cannot abstain._  
  


"Trashed up my secret base… but I totally judo threw em' and busted out… like some stupid goon can stop the mighty Gumi!"

Gumi sat back with the stolen laptop as Luka shook, trying to take in what she'd just escaped from hours ago.  The three of them had escaped to the outskirts of the city – technically they had no cover of buildings here, but at least they had more open air if they got attacked again.

She'd failed to protect her friends… she'd been led into a trap and escaped by the skin of her teeth but… at what cost?

The Spirit Caller now sat in enemy hands.

Clearly Gakupo remained disturbed as well.  "We need to plan a new attack…" he muttered, "Figure out their most likely location and break our way in…"

Of course his methodical mind didn’t allow him time to mourn.  Whatever his personal feelings, this was exactly the kind of work he'd trained for.  Luka envied his ability to focus on battles and strategies with such precision.

"That's not gonna be easy," Gumi explained as she typed on her computer, "Mirrors' got tons of labs.  Plus the big research complex.  I mean maybe they're in there, but we'd be starting a fight without clues and they'll be waiting for us."

She shuddered.  "They even got anti-aircraft guns there… probably what they unloaded onto poor Blue when he was trying to escape.  We need a way to turn off their security… cause some chaos!"

"Indeed, planning for an assault with only two of us…"

Gumi scoffed.  "Are you _nuts!?_   You think I'm not coming along while you storm into the Heart's Happy Home of Horrors?!"

Before Luka could speak another word she saw a white feather drift down from the sky.  Reflexively she stared upwards, expecting an attack.  "Commander?!" Gakupo exclaimed as he spotted a familiar figure descending.

Luka tensed up as the blonde Seruva alighted in front of her.  "ACK!  Nasu-san, do something!" Gumi shouted.

Lily blinked at Gumi's comments.  "I… I come in peace…" she said.

Gumi stared at her distrustfully, a sentiment Luka shared.  She glanced to Gakupo, who still held his sword in a defensive stance.  Lily hadn't even touched her own weapon as she seemed to be sizing up the others.  "I'm not here to cause trouble.  I just…"

She looked to the sky nervously.  "Who are you working for?" Luka asked coldly.

Luka tried to analyze the woman's melody for any weaknesses… and to Luka's surprise, she found several.  Her notes sounded anxious… but not like those of a liar nervous of being uncovered.  More like… fear of feeling out of options.  But Luka had trouble mustering up mercy for her knowing her complicity in some of the crimes of the past.

"I work for the Seruva…" Lily stated quietly.

"…what's happened to the Islands, Lily?" Gakupo asked.  His calm and focus sounded strained.

Lily lowered her eyes.  "You… you murdered the Elders and kidnapped the Spirit Caller.  Rebels attempted to storm the holy temples and take over our tribe.  Nothing but madness has reigned since that day."

So Lily wasn't complicit… given that she knew _nothing_ of why Gakupo acted as he did.

The Seruva leader continued.  "Meiko stepped up to leadership given that we had no other options, proclaiming that in times of darkness we… must not be afraid of even darkness itself."

The way she kept staring at her hands reminded Luka of the way that Gakupo still stared at his own when he thought Luka wasn't watching.  "She asked for volunteers and several of my soldiers stepped up unquestioningly.  Especially the ones who… Gakupo fought with."

She placed a hand to her chest.  "I did not volunteer myself, but I went with her to monitor their safety.  When I saw the rift… when I heard the discord… I tried to talk them out of it, but to go against the words of our High Priestess?  Not a soul would listen.  She accused me of working with you and that was that… fear reigned and I was the first subjected to the corruption of the Noise."

Lily stared into Luka's eyes.  "When I say I work for the Seruva… it is because I cannot stand back and allow what remains of us to be consumed by that mad woman's quest for vengeance against the humans."

"… and yet you came looking for me, the one person you believe responsible for it."

Gakupo sounded bitter as he spoke.  "After what she did to me?" Lily said, "I don't believe that your actions were motivated by free will.  And after seeing Sujata Hama working with you…"

She swallowed.  "I wanted to know what you intend to do."

Gakupo didn't change his stance.  "Right now, the Spirit Caller is being held hostage by humans.  All I intend to do is rescue him… and my human allies."

Luka could have laughed at the surprise on Lily's face.  "You really are working with humans?!" she exclaimed.

"I was _not_ working with humans when I sought to save the Spirit Caller from the ambitions of the Elders," Gakupo stated flatly, "But it was humans who took care of him when he was stolen.  When he was mutilated.  And those humans are people I'd gladly lay down my life for as readily as any Seruva."

He tossed Luka a knowing smile.  "As I would for Luka."

Lily looked to Luka again as if she understood what Gakupo was implying.  She took a few steps closer to him to make it clear.  "Such a strange path you've chosen Gakupo…" Lily said quietly, "But as long as our goals align for the moment… I'll not question it."

She stared up into the sky.  "Meiko was planning an invasion of this city... she'll begin sometime today."

She sighed.  "I'd _hoped_ you had access to Sujata Hama so we might thwart it at once… but if we don't… I might be able to get you some manpower to storm where he is being held."

Gakupo finally put his weapon away.  "You have uncorrupted warriors with you."

She nodded.  "I sent the brothers back to the Islands to gather as many people as they could… I can direct them at your instructions."

The blonde warrior stared into the city.  "After all… you appear to know the lay of this land better than I."

"Then our only problem is the anti-aircraft guns…" Luka mused aloud, "We'd be turning our allies into cannon fodder if we can't deal with Mirror's security."

Suddenly Luka heard Gumi begin to laugh.  It started out as soft laughter, just under her breath, before gaining in intensity.  Soon the girl was laughing like a mad woman, and Luka began to seriously worry about her state of mind.

The emerald haired technology wizard grasped the computer with both hands.  "They got Finch..." she said, "But… I got his drop.  It's got every single security measure inside Mirror that you could imagine."

A frightening glint appeared in Gumi's eyes.  "If it's connected to their WiFi… I can turn off everything in that building."

She stood up and laughed maniacally.  "NOTHING the Hearts have is beyond me!  AHAHAHAHAHA!"

So they had the scraps of a plan.  A wild, desperate assault that relied on Mirror having not already found a way to exploit Kaito and the immense power he represented… let alone the power they'd already tapped into by snatching up the Kagamines.

She clenched her fists.  Miku, Rin, Len… they'd relied on their "sempai" to always look out for them.  She hadn't been able to prevent their capture… but "sempai" was going to get them back safely.

Gumi slammed the laptop shut and shoved it in her bag.  "Nasu-san, I leave the planning to you!"

Gakupo stared at Gumi for a moment and blinked.  "… how long have you been calling me that?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoosh.  Another brutal cliffhanger.  
> 
> The CV units are actually a cheeky reference to the CV designation for four of the six Cryptons.  I still like to get these in when I still can!  Similarly, "Big Sweet's" designation as "FX Modules" is a reference to their developer PowerFX.
> 
> I wish I had more to say here this week, but frankly, as things are winding down, there's less I feel the need to explain.  I hope everyone is still enjoying the craziness.
> 
>  **Song Credits** : Miku's ringtone for Rin is "[Colorful x Melody](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D95TvP97MXY)", a duet the two of them share that popped up in Project Diva.  The title is itself a reference to the Rin and Len duet "[Electric Angel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSYoz0JmnZo)", and yes, I did keep having them favor lightning attacks because of that song.


	17. The Fury of the Seruva

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gakupo and Luka are joined by an unlikely ally as they begin to plan their daring rescue of their friends. Rin and Len finally learn the truth about their origins and have to grapple with what it means. Miku plots her next move in captivity, while Kaito fights off a strange dissonant melody encroaching on his mind, calling him the "Arbiter" and filling his mind with visions of the past. The End approaches as the fury of the Seruva descends again on humanity. But the Hearts have been building to this moment for decades and a few Vocaloids won't get in their way...

_ _

_As Meiko observed the pinned warrior against the temple walls, she could hear the old men still arguing over what their next action should be.  With the sounds of warfare outside, they could not leave the sanctum until they could confirm the end of the attack.  Of course **she** could handle them… but they still insisted on holding her back._

_On hiding her strength._

_Concealing her._

_In one breath, she was their greatest hope.  In the next, their greatest shame._

_The newly reborn Spirit Caller bloodline.  The twisted daughter of Noise._

_The warrior's blue eyes remained unfocused, his body convulsing in ignorance of the pain from his deep wounds.  His lips moved as if he spoke, but nothing emerged beyond the strange atonal sounds.  Not words.  No meaning to his actions._

_The Spirit Caller was gone.  Hunting him remained their highest priority.  But she tired of relying on him so.  He'd never possessed the true will to aid the Seruva in what they must do.  How weary she grew of constant pleading and coaxing, of how weak his body had become._

_"We must Sever him at once!  And anyone that granted him aid!"_

_"But we can't let them see him like **this**!  He's clearly filled with the Noise!"_

_"What if we hold him up as an example of the corruption the rebels spread?  Not a soul will stand with him or his allies!  We can crush this threat to order swiftly."_

_She hated the warrior for putting so many lives at risk, for constantly standing against her authority.  Yet her voice alone had stood against his reinstatement as the Spirit Caller's keeper.  Now she'd been proven right, and again her opinions discarded.  Yet as she saw him now, a mindless puppet turned into a pile of mush, she actually found a strange sensation in her heart._

_Pity._

_Empathy._

_He was like her.  Trying to fight the mindless screeds and pointless codes that chained her people.  Yet he was far too simple minded to understand how to stop them, and so he hung impaled upon the wall, his power utterly overwhelming him._

_Meiko gripped one of the spears holding him in place.  She turned her head and saw the Elders still involved in their simple games of power and maintaining order.  She grunted as she pried the weapon free of the wall._

_Such small-minded men.  When Meiko couldn't become a Spirit Caller, they simply used her for blunt tasks.  Erasing **his** memories.  Twisting **his** loyalty.  Stopping **his** weak, useless spirit from snapping at the strain of the Noise she could have effortlessly bared._

_Utterly blinded to an opportunity in front of them._

_She wrenched the last spear free and the warrior's body slipped down the wall into a sitting position, his purple hair spread around his shoulders._

_The Seruva no longer needed to fear the humans that had been quietly stealing away their own.  The Elders had ordered silence about the incursions presumably to prevent panic, but Meiko recognized cowardice when she saw it.  They feared provoking war without Sujata Hama in their arsenal._

_She stared at the man's form and she listened for the dissonant melody emerging from his heart.  She extended a hand, quietly weaving a dark song of her own.  The unshaped melody bent to her considerable will, the man before her becoming like fresh clay awaiting form in spite of appearing no different than before._

_That soon changed as his eyes turned red, his wings slowly taking on a black hue.  Red markings streaked along his face, accentuated his sharper features, his hands lengthening into long talons._

_His trembling and mumblings ceased as he stood up, grasping his sword and sturdy as ever.  "What are your orders?!" he boomed._

_The sound of his voice caused the Elders to stop speaking at once and stare at Meiko.  "What… what has happened to him?!" one of them remarked._

_Meiko turned to them with a tranquil smile.  "I have brought our salvation to us," she said simply, "We need no longer rely on Sujata Hama or the Spirit Caller to protect us from humanity."_

_At this they looked surprised.  "Meiko, we can't possibly do this!  The people shall never accept creatures of Noise as their guardians and leaders!"_

_"They will."_

_She could have laughed at how feeble their sudden attack on her felt to her powers as she calmly placed a red shield in front of herself.  Three old men were no match for her if they couldn't control her will._

_Meiko would no longer be controlled._

_"Gakupo!  Your orders!  Find Kaito, kill all who interfere!"_

_The only way for her authority to remain unquestioned required her to become the_ only _authority._

_"Starting… with them."_

_In moments her newly crafted soldier dove through the air, a whirling tornado of sword play and furious swipes… as she watched the men who chained her fall one by one, her tranquil smile never left her face._

_Earth would belong to the Seruva.  Humanity would vanish.  And they would finally live free and safe again._

_And all who opposed that utopia… would be cut down._

As Miku awoke, she felt a heavy metal band around her throat.  She opened her eyes to find herself in a dimly lit steel cell.  "K… Kaito?" she mumbled.  He was nowhere to be found, Miku in total isolation.

Rising to her feet, she touched the band on her throat gingerly… and tried to tear it off.

The jolt she received in response made her fall straight to the floor.  Once her muscles worked again, she rose again, far more slowly.  Remembering Kaito's stories, she didn't need to be told where she was.  She was a captive of the same people that had started everything.

And Kaito was _missing_.

Naturally, so was her weapon.  Miku walked over to the door and stared outside, trying to make out her location.  Obviously they hadn't paired her up with Kaito, but he must be in the facility somewhere.  As she peered through the glass, she _did_ spy another person.  A woman with shoulder-length black hair, tanned cape, and a green dress.

… a woman with _wings_.

Of _course_ Kaito wouldn't be the only Seruva here.  Hadn't Meiko made some comment about that?  That the humans had been kidnapping Seruva?  This woman must be one of them.

"…how many more are here?" Miku whispered aloud.

The woman's skin appeared a sickening pale shade, her eyes bearing dark ringlets.  Her expression appeared so downcast… how long had the poor women been here?

As her blue eyes met Miku's, she showed not a glimmer of life.  She looked briefly surprised to see Miku… maybe because Miku was a human?  But she showed no other reactions to her, eventually turning away entirely.

Miku craned her eyes to try and see into any of the other cells… maybe Kaito was inside one of them?!  But she couldn't peer through any more windows.  Only the one across from her.

She walked over to the wall and leaned against it.  Whatever Mirror wanted with her, it appeared they planned to make her wait.  She clutched her hands together as she tried to think of what they wanted with her.  She was just a normal human girl…

…a normal human girl that had gone on a spree of breaking as many of their Noise Generators as she could get her hands on.

A normal human girl that had directly fought Heralds on three occasions, not mention Gakupo's tengu form.

A normal human girl that had been drawn into the Noise… and come back intact.

A normal human girl that rode a giant white bird through the city, blasting magic everywhere they landed.

And the normal human girl that was the lover of the most powerful and valuable person Mirror had ever captured.

"… I guess I'm not really all that normal," she muttered.

She'd been knocked out so quickly she hadn't even learned if she and Kaito were the only captives.  Had Luka and Gakupo escaped?  Had they rescued Rin and Len somehow?

Obviously Mirror had done something to the twins… wherever they were, Miku knew how frightened they must be… if they were still allowed to feel any emotion that is.

'There's no way I'll be able to help them… I don't have a weapon, I don't know my way around… and I don't know where they're holding anyone… Kaito could be under guard and what if I have to fight my best friends!?'

She slapped her cheek.

'Positive.  I've gotten out of worse…'

Miku leaned against the wall staring out the lone window, seeing only the back of her fellow prisoner.  'I'll get out of this too!'

 

Kaito lay in his cell, the odd melodies in his head continuing to toy with his sanity.

"Gakupo felt this for _weeks_ …" he murmured, "I can barely stand it for a few hours."

For what haste and effort they'd undergone to acquire him, Kaito had spent what felt like hours locked up in solitary.  And with the time to himself, he'd become aware of something he'd realized he'd heard ever since he first summoned Sujata Hama.

Two melodies, one of order, and one of dissonance.

Warring inside of him, trying to demand he choose one or the other.

He recognized now the story Luka told of the first Spirit Caller "summoning" one guardian or the other wasn't entirely accurate.  After his experience, he knew now they'd called the beings onto themselves, taking its form themselves.

But that meant the same for the destructor.  Sujata Raka.  Someone had to have summoned it onto themselves.

There was only _one_ person who had that power.

The first Spirit Caller.

No wonder the burden of the melody was so heavy to his ancestors.

 _Arbiter_.

Kaito tried to ignore the voice in his head again as it tried to draw out a reaction.

_Arbiter._

"I'm not speaking to you," he whispered coldly.

_You cannot abstain._

Was it the Noise?  He'd purged himself of his Seal, hadn't he?

'Maybe… when I restored my spirit and got my wings back… maybe it opened my mind to the beyond again…'

Then he was infected… and with the stun collar on, he couldn't purge himself.  Singing even a single note would deliver a painful shock to his body and cease his song at once.  So all he could do was suffer in silence as it continued to infest him.

_You must understand the decision in order to choose correctly._

"If you're asking me to kill anyone, the answer is no."

Kaito hoped nobody could observe him talking to himself.  Or if they did, they didn't have the idea to try and unleash it.  But after seeing what happened to Neru… he feared that fate would soon befall _him_ as well.

_You cannot abstain.  You must choose._

He fell silent, trying to ignore the voice and summoning his will to himself.  He thought of things that he was fighting for.  Afternoons at the ice cream parlor.  Practices at the park.  Duets with friends.  Skies full of fireworks.

Miku.

She was human. 

Nothing could make him attack humans because Miku was human and he loved her.

_You cannot stand in judgement while maintaining ignorance._

Fine.  If it was going to declare him some kind of judge of humanity…

"Then present your case."

Kaito felt his mind growing hazy, his body slipping to the floor as he entered a trance.  He began to regret his words, but now he wondered what the voice intended to show him…

 

Rin's sobbing was the only sound Len heard.  Each twin lay on their backs on metal platforms, their hands bound tightly by metal clamps.  Len recognized this room as one of the observation labs – it would be well reinforced, even if he and Rin could break out.

Apparently the Hearts didn't consider either twin much of a threat – they were at least allowed to stay in the same room together.  And they didn’t seem to be wearing any of the shock collars Kaito warned about.  Maybe it would interfere with the equipment the Hearts had slipped into him?

His mind flashed back to the tower.  He and Rin had to have been drugged… he didn't remember anything happening to him.  But he also didn't entirely remember leaving the tower either.

Just a simple command in his head.

_"Go back to your base."_

They had to have been attacked then, the memories prevented from forming by the drugs used on the two of them.  Something lightly burned the back of his neck and his spine… perhaps that was what controlled their actions?

He… he and Rin… had attacked Miku.  She could have died.  And they couldn't stop it.

_"Take the great bird and his mate alive."_

His body moved on its own, in perfect sync with Rin's… and they'd used the very song taught to them by Kaito to capture him and turn him into the people who tormented him.

He didn't know where Kaito was in this massive complex… somewhere, they were probably going to fill him with machines and toxins to make him into a soulless doll as well.  And who knew what they intended for Miku!?

…he'd actually _flown_.  On some kind of strange yellow wings of light.  A power of his and Rin's?  Something implanted in them?  A little of both?

What had his parents _done_ to them!?

Voices in the hallway outside caught Len's attention.  He saw a pair of figures enter an observation room to the side.  He squinted to try and make them out, but the frosted glass obscured their faces.  In a moment, it didn't matter, as their voices projected into the empty room anyway.

"Len.  Rin.  Finally… after all these years, our investments paid off."

 _His mother_.  Lola Heart.

"Where's Oliver?!" Rin shouted at the top of her lungs.

Len was amazed that the first question out of her mouth wasn't the state of her friends, questions about herself, or what the Hearts planned.  But a question about a ghost from the past.

That telltale silence said everything Len needed to hear.

“We know you didn't kill him!  So fess up already!” the boy added gruffly.

Len shouted knowing full well he was egging them on – and not caring anymore.  What did he have left to lose?

“Oliver was an employee of Mirror for the last six years.  We intended to decommission him after his organs failed, but he proved valuable to our research into artificial and mechanical organ transplantation.”

To hear Lola speak so clinically about her own son disgusted Len.  It somehow felt worse after he'd seen all the photographs of the three of them as a normal happy family.  What drove her to become the person she was now?

 

“… They've been cloning Seruva for years,” Gumi explained as she paged through the files she still had on Leon's laptop.

“Well, trying anyway.”

Gakupo stood behind Gumi, observing as the green-haired girl's fingers flew across the input device.  He still barely comprehended how such a machine could work and store information, but this young woman had somehow mastered it to the extent that even the owner of the device couldn't keep his secrets from her anymore.

Naturally, anything she could tell him, Luka, and Lily would serve to help him form their next strategy.  He needed to know what happened to Rin and Len.  What they planned for Miku and Kaito.  Where they were, what their capabilities were.

And _why_ they cared so much to weaponize his kind.

He watched documents labeled “Smith” and “Doe" pop up on the screen.

“The first round, they tried to rebuild an existing human with Seruva DNA.  The doctors in charge used themselves as experiments but… their bodies just started falling apart.  Apparently they got bumped into another project on cybernetics, the FX modules… They survived all the experiments and installations but the stress made em' go all…”

Gumi raised her index finger and spun it around her ear, making a “woo, woo!” sound.

“You don't think all those songs they perform in fights are…” Luka began to say.

Gakupo finished her thought.  “…battle ballads.  Or what they _think_ are battle ballads.”

Gakupo shook his head.  “That explains their obsession with wings.”

Gumi kept typing away, going through every one of the project Gemini docs.

“Their next subject was Project Cherubim. When Lola was pregnant, they tried injecting the fetus with some of the same tech.  The baby was born premature, but he pulled through.”

Gumi paged up an image of a smiling blond toddler covered in electrodes.  “He seemed fine at first, so they started raising him as their son.  Oliver Heart.  But in spite of surviving the pregnancy, he didn't possess a second voice and he didn't seem to practice song magic.  So he was a rather expensive failure when his health nosedived.”

Gakupo couldn't help but recall how much the poor boy meant to her.  To think he'd concealed all of that…

“They were gonna just let him die at first, then examine the cadaver to find out what went wrong.  But… I can't find out what happened to him.  All it says is he got moved to another project, on artificial organs.”

So the boy lived… Gakupo made a mental note to ensure he was recovered in the coming operation.  Hopefully he'd still be of sound mind as a grown adult. 

Luka's wistful notes punctuated her thoughts.  "They've built so much technology that could save lives… truly better us… cloning, artificial limbs and organs… breakthroughs that could have advanced humanity by decades…"

Her notes turned bitter. "Yet all they saw the use for was to try to control and enslave another race."

“What of the Kagamines?” Gakupo asked.

Gumi paged through another set of documents.  “Rin and Len... They're basically a hybrid.  They're the first set of clones to _survive_.”

 

“… You were nothing but disappointments at first.  We adopted you legally so we could try and raise you normally.  To properly awaken your powers.  But you constantly failed to produce a spell or show any unique abilities.”

Lola let out a sigh.

“… So when you asked for your freedom… We acquiesced with the hope that perhaps when left to your own devices, the power would actually awaken.”

That's all Len and his sister was to them.  He was dead right… the Hearts acted so coldly because they didn't want children.  They wanted weapons.

 _He_ was a weapon.

“Why are you so obsessed with the Seruva?"

He stared into the glass as if he could see them.  Their cowardice felt so typical of them – acting as if they were all-powerful, but concealing themselves from any true consequences. 

Because the Seruva are going to come back and finish the war they started," Leon spoke.

For a second, Len thought he detected some emotion.

“Lola and I spent years studying the mystery of a massive amount of casualties 1,500 years ago.  It defies all logic – hundreds of thousands dying at once?  There had to be a cause!  Eventually… We discovered the common cultural myth arc of avenging winged beings.  We started to uncover the lost history of the Seruva and what they did.”

“Kaito-niisan wouldn't hurt anyone…” Rin whispered.

Len heard some whispering behind the speakers.  "Kaito… was that his name?  I see…"

Lola's voice returned.  "You saw what he did in the city…"

"Yea!  He was stopping YOU!" Len shouted, "You could have killed hundreds of people!"

Len just barely recognized the indignant female voice that spoke next.  "No citizens would have been harmed had your interference not been an issue."

What was her name… they called her Flower?  The woman that controlled himself and Rin.  "The subject operated within expected parameters.  We _detected_ several more hostiles approaching the tower.  We'd hoped to draw more of them out… until your companion sabotaged the operation and allowed them to escape."

She let out an annoyed sigh.  "He's been so meddlesome… any one of the many subjects he destroyed could have been used to protect humanity once I got the Mesmeratic Overrides installed."

"Kaito-niisan was saving them… you'd never understand…"

Rin's voice sounded so defeated, and hearing his sister like this only made Len's protective instincts flare up even harder.  Right now, his parents were lucky he was chained up.

"Typical shallow understandings from prototype humanoids.  Forming attachments well beyond their understanding."

He thought Flower actually sounded _bitter_ but… what had she called them?

"Doctor, you shouldn't chide them like that," Leon scolded, "The Gemini clones 'false attachments' are why they succeeded after all."

Of course… if he and Rin were just clones… hybrids… then they weren't twins at all.  Just mirror images grown from another Seruva his parents plucked out of the Islands.

Like Kaito.

He felt nauseous and sick.  He wanted them to stop talking.  He wanted what Rin and he shared to be real, but was it just another manipulation of his parents?

"You two have an important choice to make," Leon said more seriously, "Whether you work with us voluntarily or not, we need you in our arsenal now that the Seruva are breathing down on us.  They could initiate an apocalyptic event in mere hours if they wanted to."

"… you're asking us to fight and kill our friends," Rin murmured.

Like his sempai.  Like Gakupo.  Maybe even Kaito.

"We're asking you to be realistic," Lola said, "You're not human, but you're not one of _them_ either.  You were built to serve and protect humanity.  If the Seruva want war, we'll show them the technology we've built to stop them."

Len took one look at Rin.  She nodded at him.

"Cut our heads open if you want.  We're not helping you!" Len shouted.

Lola let out a sigh.  "As expected… perhaps it’s the Seruva side that makes them so disobedient…"

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO OLIVER?!" Rin screamed.

Another pause.  "He'll be salvaged tonight.  We expected to use the results to serve _humanity_.  Not whatever cause he fell into."

The microphones turned off and Len saw the people behind the glass leave.  If that's how they intended to treat Oliver, he and Rin didn't have a chance.  Except they'd made a fatal mistake.

They threatened Oliver's life.

"Rin…" he started to say.  The revelations of her not really having a brother had to be weighing on her.

To his surprise, she was staring at him with a determined face.  "Len!  I don't care what we are.  Clones or whatever.  You're still my brother!"

To see her put things so simply… his cockiness started to return and he found himself laughing in spite of the circumstances.  “Come on, you weren't planning on firing me as your brother, were you?!”

Her tears seemed to fade as she looked to him with renewed courage.  "First chance we get… we break out and save Oliver!"

Len nodded his head.  "Luka and Gakupo got away with Gumi so… we just gotta wait for them to do something crazy… and then we'll be out of here in no time!"

 

_Arbiter._

Kaito floated in darkness, suspended by light.  As if somehow he'd been drawn personally into the war for his heart and mind.  Both sides cried out for him, two conflicting melodies trying to bend his ear.

_Arbiter.  Stand in judgement._

At once he found himself seated in an enormous golden chair.  "Where am I?" he said, trying to see form where none existed.

Two shapes began to approach him in the darkness.  As they neared him, to Kaito's surprise, he was staring at two near perfect mirror images of himself.  The only difference was every place his hair or clothing was blue, the newcomer's possessed red coloring instead.  One man's jacket was white and red, the other's black and red.

Each bowed before him.  "Arbiter," the black jacketed man spoke, "We are here to present to you the past and present, and then you must make a choice for the future."

Fine, if this is what they intended to do… he would let them.  Maybe they'd give him some answers to the questions he needed to resolve anyway.

In a flash, Kaito saw himself on a battlefield.  He recognized the battle songs of the Seruva warriors.  Though he stood amongst humans, watching the skies, none of them appeared aware of him.

The Seruva dove through the air, ready to slice the humans in half.  Their powerful melodies pushed the defenseless earth-bound bipeds to their knees.  Furious bolts of lightning carved a path through the assembled human forces.

Though Kaito had only heard of the brutality of the way once, seeing so many humans cut down at once by his own people filled his heart with dread.

"Who started the war?" Kaito asked.

The man in white spoke somberly.  "According to humans, the Seruva came to Earth as conquerors, wishing to enslave the disgusting wingless humans."

As Kaito watched the humans torn apart by such violent magic, he felt sick.  Were they truly capable of such naked evil?  Had he been wrong to have any faith in his own kind?  Even in the present, he had born witness to the evil perpetuated by those he trusted.

Soon the battlefield lay littered with human corpses.  A victory song filled the air, a long tradition of the warrior caste to signal the end of a glorious battle.

Then at once he was on another plain of war.  Yet this was not the open fields of the first battle, but what Kaito recognized as a Seruva settlement.  And it burned.

"According to the Seruva, the humans feared what they could not understand, and tried to control the children of the clouds."

He gasped as he saw children flying through the air for safety… only for the sky to fill with arrows, rocks, and other projectiles.

Clearly the humans here changed their strategy compared to before – removing the Seruva's advantage of flight reduced their greatest advantage over them, leaving them helpless.

One by one, the children hit the ground.  Some still stirred, others remained silent.  He heard a few weak healing ballads.  Kaito approached the bodies of some of the survivors, reflexively casting one of his own.

"These are simply memories of souls," the man in black commented in a scolding tone, "You cannot alter what has already happened."

"How many did we keep?"

A human's voice.  Several armored soldiers approached.  "Oh, maybe about five of em' will turn out all right."

Kaito cringed as he saw one of them draw a sword and approach a fallen boy, no older than 10.  As the child attempted to crawl away from him, the soldier roughly stomped on his back, holding him down with his foot.  In seconds, Kaito realized too late what he was about to witness.  "NO!  Stop!" he cried out.

But naturally the ghosts of the past could not heed the words of a man of the present.  With a few ghastly slices and screams, the boy found himself rendered earthbound for the rest of his life.  "We start training em' now, we might get some use out of him yet!"

As barbaric as the Seruva were in battle, Kaito couldn't believe how much the humans relished mutilating the weak.

Another battlefield.  Another horror awaited him.  This time he saw a massive human army, wielding catapults and crossbows.  He almost vomited when he saw the same boy again, now several years older, chains hanging around his neck and hands, standing with others his age in a line-up.

"Open fire!"

As a charge of Seruva arrived to break the human advance, they faced the first round of projectile weapons.  The sky lit up with hundreds of shields, the warriors protecting themselves as the humans exhausted their first rounds.  Clearly they were learning to adapt as well.

Kaito heard the sickening crack of whips and the cries of children.  "Break them or you'll break next!" he heard a joyless voice cry out.

The air filled with battle hymns.  Seruva slaves forced to fight those who flew free.  Arrows of light flew with arrows of steel and wood, the elements stirred to force apart the armies.

No matter how brave and strong the truest Seruva warriors… such an onslaught could not be so easily withstood.  They began to plummet from the air, body after body landing in the dirt.

Kaito approached the boy, looking for some emotion, but what frightened him was that he no longer appeared to possess any.  Had he been forced to do this so many times he had no emotions left?

As Kaito found himself transported again, he almost found himself begging for the end of it but he realized he needed to see this through.  He needed to understand the past if he was expected to make any decisions about the future.

Kaito recognized the geography in front of him as that of the Verdant Plains of his homeland.  Yet he could immediately spot one major difference… it remained rooted within the Earth.

This time he stood next to a lone woman with long white hair.  "Ha… Haku?" he whispered.

He observed her carefully, but she couldn't see him either.  "Haku… was a Spirit Caller…" he whispered.

Behind her stood hundreds of Seruva.  Kaito realized these likely remained the final free Seruva survivors.

And all around them… the human armies marched through the Verdant Plains.

Kaito was about to witness how much of that story of the past was true.

Haku watched the approaching army.  At first her body shook in fear, but then she suddenly calmed herself.  She closed her eyes and sang a song in the ancient tongues.  Kaito immediately recognized the tones – it was simply a children's melody.  It bore no magic.

"She's praying," spoke the man in white.

Soon every other Seruva at her side joined her voice.  Such a strange vision upon the fields – humans marching for battle, and Seruva joining in a chorus of the heavens.  "Why don't they simply run?" Kaito asked.

"Why should they?" the man in black asked, "Should they spend the rest of their days fleeing, living in hiding, having nothing to return to or call their own?"

He stared at the oncoming warriors.  "Perhaps the Seruva would have been no different had they reached this level of total victory.  Or perhaps they would have known when to cease.  But none of that matters.  There are no free Seruva left but the ones you see, and they are tired of fleeing."

Kaito felt power welling up around Haku as she sang.  It felt so familiar…

"… they're singing a Harmony!" he exclaimed.

The first round of projectiles flew through the air and he almost expected them to impact her…

…until a burst of white light consumed Haku right on the spot.

In seconds, there was no more Haku standing there, but the great white form of Sujata Hama.  She spread her wings and encircled the sky.

In the confusion, the humans began trying to down her.  He heard them commanding their Seruva slaves… but he heard a song begin to rise from them as well.

They were trying to grant her their power as well.

The earth trembled and shook as Sujata Hama beat her wings.  Kaito took to the air to confirm what he suspected – the Islands rose from the ground, slowly lifting into the sky itself.

"Her heart is filled with the will to create, to save lives," the man in white spoke, "She wishes to end the conflict by granting a home away from humanity.  If they cannot live together… they can live apart.  But they will both live."

Kaito knew this couldn't possibly be every single human on earth – the clothing reminded him a great deal of some of the ancient Japanese warriors he'd seen Gakupo become so obsessed with.  Perhaps this army was Japanese?

He heard screams from the human's side.  Not a single Seruva had attacked them… he flew closer to try and see what had taken place…

The humans were _slaughtering_ their own slaves.

He felt disgusted just watching it… seeing them so frightened by their abused captives that they chose to kill them instead?!

Apparently… Haku agreed.

She let out a cry and at first Kaito thought she might be trying to heal them… but he felt a familiar dissonance form in the air.  "Dark… Notes?" he murmured.

"Where did they come from indeed?" the man in black posited.

Sujata Hama screeched so horribly… her wonderful song becoming twisted and angry… and Kaito watched her feathers slowly turn black, her eyes glowing red.

"Sujata… Raka…" he murmured.

The great black-feathered terror swept across the plains and Kaito could hear nothing in her melody but destruction.

"Her heart is filled with vengeance.  She judged them… unworthy."

A wave of dark magic flew out of her throat, sweeping across the humans and their captives alike… and disintegrating them in an instant.  "She… she killed them BOTH?!"

He tried to follow her, finding in this astral form he could just barely stay behind as she dove away from the Islands into the Oceans.  Assembled human vessels prepared to fire upon her… but the terrible cries continued and soon nothing remained alive below her...

She flew above land, screeching all the while.  More and more humans died in her wake around the Islands.

"HAKU!  You'll wipe them all out!" Kaito cried.

"She cannot hear you… but she weeps for them…" the man in white spoke, "The heart of life and peace, the heart of death and war.  All of that burden upon one soul."

He found himself pulled along with her as she flew back over land, her terrible song rending everything apart beneath her.  Hundreds of thousands of lives ended by the distonal noise.  She moved so quickly he realized she was crossing entire continents as she continued her wave of destruction.

This was the power of Sujata Raka.

Finally, Kaito found himself transported to the Verdant Plains.  He was shaking from the sight of so much horror as he carefully approached the form of Haku.  Once more a Seruva, she was seated in the grass, clutching her knees close to her head.

And she sobbed.

The scene before him faded and again Kaito sat in the chair.  "Arbiter."

The two red haired men spoke in one voice.  "This is the past of humanity and Seruva.  You must now judge the present."

 

Gakupo kept his eyes locked on the clouds above him.  He needed to get wind of any future attacks, from the Seruva, from the humans…

To find himself with so many fronts of war at once.  He'd been trained to kill humans – every Seruva warrior knew how to do so.  But of course humanity never ceased their advancements, gaining an ever greater technological advantage.

He knew from the stories that humans had nearly driven his people into extinction.  Yet found himself dwelling on some of Kaito's lofty goals.

_"If I ended the Noise… if I put humans and Seruva back on equal terms… then… maybe we could unite them as well."_

"I wonder if he could really achieve that…" Gakupo mused aloud.

"Eh?" Luka asked.

"He wanted to find some way to unify humanity and the Seruva, remember?"

"He wished to do _what?!"_

Lily's shocked cry matched what Gakupo suspected might the average reaction of the Seruva.  "Does he… not understand how _terrified_ the Seruva are of humanity?!  Many of them gave themselves willingly to the Noise just to fight them!"

She shook her head.  "I can't imagine what our Spirit Caller intends to gain, but it's quite impossible… the Seruva have lived their entire lives in fear…"

Such cynicism was hardly unexpected when the two races stood on the eve of war.  "For most of humanity… tonight will be the first time they meet a Seruva,” Gakupo mused, “And they’re going to meet Seruva who simply intend to _kill_ them.”

Kaito always possessed that naivety.  That belief that he could somehow magically make everyone happy.  But it wasn't often realistic… why would it be now?

"… perhaps we can fix both problems."

Gakupo turned to see Luka staring at him, her face solid and determined.  "The humans in this city are going to be carved up if they stay on the surface," Luka continued, "We need a way to get them out of the streets and into safety."

"Pffft," Gumi muttered, "Ain't gonna happen, roads are getting blocked as it is.  No way can we get civil defense workers together to handle it that fast…"

"…we don't need them."

Luka turned to Lily.  "Commander," she said, her notes growing tighter and tenser, "when your soldiers arrive, will they take any order from you without question?"

The commander looked up in deep contemplation, stroking her chin with her fingertips.  "I don't see why not.  The ones who are going to come from the clouds are the ones that are most loyal to me alone."

Gakupo realized Luka's plan before she even finished speaking.  "… Gakupo, how many will we need to storm Mirror?"

"Once the projectile weaponry is dealt with?" Gakupo said.

His tactical mind turned, plotting formations and directions.  Really, he needed only to storm inside… once he got through the front door, surely he, Luka, and Gumi could handle a smaller rescue operation…

"We could do it with roughly two dozen at the door and a strike team inside."

"… then you would have me divert all the rest of them to defending humanity."

Naturally, the commander caught on to Luka's thoughts as well.  "They may balk at first but…"

She watched the sky for a few moments.  Something about the look in her eyes, the way they suddenly shook.  Gakupo sympathized – they both shared a similarly horrifying invasion of their minds and bodies.  Being turned to weapons.  Their fellow Seruva were the same way now, alert only to the destruction Meiko wished for them to inflict.

"They'll take my orders.  Without question."

Gumi began cackling.  "Awww, see, we can totally make everyone shake hands when this is over!"

'That's woman's ability to disrupt everyone around her is uncanny…' Gakupo thought to himself as he observed her wily grin.

The green-eyed hacker stood up.  "I've got Finch's stuff memorized.  I can show you guys the tunnel system, all the shelters… you guys form up a plan nice and quick, right?"

Gakupo saw movement in the sky.  For a moment he worried it was Meiko… but the feathers falling were white.  "Indeed… we must disseminate the locations at once!"

Luka crossed her arms and lowered her head.  “Now to ensure the people will believe the Seruva…”

“AHHHH!”

Gumi started hopping up and down in excitement.  “What if we had Nasu-san do it?!”

Gakupo's eyebrow twitched at his insulting nickname.  How had he not noticed it for so long?  “I can't very well fly up to every human out there…” he muttered, “And why would the humans trust me?”

Gumi held up her smartphone.  “Because you're the ‘Samurai Angel’ that saved Teto!  The videos of you went all over the news!”

Right on the screen, a photo of Gakupo in the theater a mere two nights ago. "You're actually viral now!  There's photoshops, and a bunch of hashtags, and like three or four SubReadits!”

So the humans had gone from treating him as a death god to a being of peace.  He hadn’t even been thinking of how they might have perceived him in such a public situation given how dire the situation was at the time…

… and they thought he was a samurai…

“Ah, Gakupo… you're famous already!” Luka said with a warm smile.

Gumi clutched her phone tightly.  “Okay.  You come up with what you want everyone in this city to do, I’ll film it… and make sure everyone sees it in minutes.”

“I don't understand,” Lily said, “How are you disseminating his image?”

Gakupo let out a laugh.  “Humans are quite obsessed with technology that lets everyone see and hear them at all times!”

 

Miku saw the doors to her cell open.  The odd ponytailed woman in front of her looked quite young to be an employee, but her id tag, “Dr. V. Flower”, seemed to indicate she was.

“Take her to the isolation chamber.  Get the rest of this block ready for processing.  I've got an appointment with the Hearts on the top floor with the new intake, but make sure Cyva forwards the results to me."

Miku tried to make a mental note – "new intake" sounded like Kaito.  So he was safe for now but… probably not for long.  And whoever this "Cyva" person was, it sounded as though Miku was going to have to get through her to save him.

As Miku was escorted out of her cell, she saw the Seruva across from her escorted out of her own.  She turned her head to see dozens of other Seruva walking away.  Every one of them showed nothing but resignation of their fates.

As she passed by the brunette Seruva, she leaned close to her.  "Don't worry.  I'm going to get you out of here."

The Seruva didn't react to Miku's proclamation as they passed by, but she felt a gun jabbed in her back all the same.

But she meant it.  If she was setting Kaito free, she'd set every Seruva in the building free on the way.

'Positive.  Positive.'

 

Meiko needn’t even see the “miracle” to understand what had happened.  The rift she stood before shuddered and cried out when Sujata Hama first flew, as if an opposing force had tried to snap it shut.  Yet after a few moments… it stood still.

_It awakens._

‘Of course it has.’

So the Spirit Caller had survived his trial as the Seal.  The time to solve a crisis himself only increased his power.  And now… now he’d gathered Sujata Hama’s limitless power.

_You must claim it._

The priestess turned around the cavern to survey her makeshift army – several hundred warriors, each imbued with the heart of the Noise.  Each ready and willing to carry out her orders without hesitation.  What did it matter that Sujata Hama severed her link to just four of them?

_“Humans… aren't good or evil… They're… so much more than that.  Some of them are truly evil… and some of them are truly good… but they all have so many wonderful melodies and lives…”_

It was pure chance that Kaito would be the one to inherit the power he had.  A bloodline once populated by so many Seruva at once, at one time there might have been several candidates to take his position.  If he’d been truly lucky, he might have never even taken the title at all, simply passing the potential on to his children and living a simple life.

But he was the _last_ Spirit Caller.  Circumstances and the sacrifices of the Seal winnowed the pool down to just one person upon whom every single one of their powers and history rested.  She’d had to plan her entire operation around the idea that he might _never_ learn the Hymn, relegating their greatest weapon to the dust of time.

How wretched it was that he’d become so thoroughly tainted by the evils of humanity.  Had he awakened to this power as a Seruva... no doubt she wouldn’t even need to go as far as she was.  He would simply sing the last Hymn, summon Sujata Raka, and purge the Earth of the virus populating its surface.

_Your power is greater._

She was not a Spirit Caller.  That process had failed.  But… she was something far greater than a Spirit Caller.

Finding Kaito was now an imperative.  Whether he _wanted_ to fulfill his duty or not.

_They shall fall to you._

Meiko spread her arms out wide.  “Today is the day of the Seruva’s vengeance against our foes!  We shall tear this city apart until we retrieve the Spirit Caller again!”

If she expected her gathered charges to cheer, she was quite mistaken.  They remained eerily silent.  They possessed no more emotions or will beyond that which she gave them.  Perfectly ordered… perfectly obedient.

They would darken the sky and the humans would cry out in fear.

One by one her warriors took to the air, flying down the tunnels to finish their job.  She pursued them, ready to direct their might wherever Kaito chose to hide.

 

Leon's right eye twitched as he watched the surveillance footage from outside the city.  The calm of the early morning hours would soon shatter as he detected the motions of hundreds of winged beings in the clouds.

"They've finally started their war."

"It only took them twenty years," Lola remarked, placing her hand on his shoulder and gripping it tightly.

Twenty years.  Every penny the they made the two of them invested in their technology.  Their blood and sweat, their city, their company, even their children existed only for the events that took place tonight.  Ever since he'd learned of the true history of humanity.

The creatures of the sky looked down upon humans.  They'd stayed out of the way, but how could he be so certain they _always_ would?  They'd senselessly murdered hundreds of thousands of humans in the past.  One perceived slight against and they could change their minds.

And that spoke nothing of Seruva prophecies of the End.  That a howling legion of souls summoned by the Seruva themselves would devour the Earth.

But Leon and Lola would not allow such a wretched event to pass.  Warning humanity of birdmen in the sky would have been useless, but they were not alone in believing in the Seruva.  He'd deliberately not hired anyone in his organization that didn't absolutely believe in the reality of the Seruva's existence, and the threat they posed.

"Tonight… the Seruva learn why humanity will never stop fighting them."

Lola picked up her phone and dialed a few numbers. "Release the CV conversions.  Give the Seruva something to think about."

She remained silent for a moment before her eyes widened.  “I should watch _what?!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, Akaito makes a pair of appearances, both the black and white coated versions! I don't tend to write with the Shion brothers as a group, but I couldn't pass up using him as a sort of Id representing the morality of the choices Kaito is being presented with. It should be obvious who the brunette Seruva Miku met is, but she'll get more time next chapter. As for Cyva… check your Vocaloid fan nicknames. I couldn't help but slip her in, I'm still a big fan of her voice.
> 
> I also realize placing Kaito in a judge-like position sounds like a Mothy thing, but I was really gunning more for the idea of a religious symbol. I did deliberately avoid calling him the "judge" for a reason though.


	18. The Arbiter of Noise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a race against time as Kaito is subjected to horrifying experiments to convert him into the Hearts ultimate weapon. But they've underestimated how many people they've upset as they find themselves under assault by the many people they've angered and hurt. All chaos breaks loose within Mirror's walls as one by one, those who are chained set themselves free. But will any of these factors stop the birth of the Arbiter of Noise?

The strange video appeared on every social network at roughly 3AM.  Within twenty minutes of its posting, the evacuation sirens rang out throughout Tsubasa City… not that they were necessary.  After the last days of terrorist activity, the appearance of a divine being instructing them to seek guaranteed safety was taken at face value.

The camera appeared shaky at first, focusing on a purple haired man with white wings wearing traditional white jinbaori.  "Nasu-san, just look over here!"

He cringed as he heard the words, but his eyes focused towards the viewer's screen.

"Humans of Tsubasa City… it is I… your…'Samurai Angel'".

He coughed loudly.  "That… isn't accurate… I am in fact a Seruva…"

"Ah, Nasu-san, just give em' the warning!"

 

As Kiyoteru carried his duffle bag through the crowds marching to the nearest shelter, he heard the sounds of a child crying.  "Mama, papa, where are you!?"

Kiyoteru finally spotted the source of the sounds – a little brunette girl with pigtails, wearing a red nightgown and hastily-thrown on sneakers.  He recognized her at once.  "Kaai-chan!"

The sobbing girl smiled through her tears as she saw him and ran towards her teacher.  "Hiyama-sensei!"

"Did you get separated from your parents?" he asked.

She nodded her head.

"Well, I'm sure they're waiting for you in the shelter," he said in his most comforting voice, "Why don't we go together? I'm certain we'll find them when we arrive."

As he entered the tunnels, Yuki's hand tightly clutching his, he spied a woman with wings. Her long white hair tinged with pink towards the bottom, she clutched an elaborate golden lance.

 

"Your city is in grave danger.  Tonight war will reach its boundaries, a war between twisted members of my race… and the humans who've hurt us."

His face appeared stern.  "But do not be afraid.  I've brought help to ensure every one of you is safe."

As he spoke, several people with white wings moved into the frame with him.  "If you evacuate to your shelters, my people shall meet you there and protect you from all harm."

 

"IA, you made it!"

"Yukari!"

The white haired girl greeted her purple-haired classmate as the girl rushed over to her in the crowded shelter.  "Man, you sure took off in a hurry… everyone's going nuts about the Samurai Angel!"

IA looked wistful.  "He was in my dream when I was captured…" she said dreamily, "I'm certain he saved me then too."

She looked to the white haired boy with wings at the entrance, his hand firmly on his sword and his eyes forward and scanning for threats.  Though he appeared somewhat apprehensive, when he glanced into the room, his eyes met hers for just a moment.  "What's your name?" she asked.

The boy hesitated for a moment.  He looked so young… "I am Piko."

IA gave him a trusting smile.  "Thank you for protecting us, Piko."

 

"For a long time, we feared your kind.  Even I was frightened of humanity."

He smiled in spite of the danger he spoke of.  "But… my time amongst your kind has revealed to me that human lives are worth protecting."

His expression grew darker.  "And tonight… I intend to stop the war for good.  Both the threat of those twisted by darkness… and the humans who perpetuated that darkness."

 

Lola scowled as she and her husband marched into the armored R&D lab.  "The nerve of him… he murdered our men in cold blood!"

Leon seemed unconcerned.  "Don't worry… once we have this problem dealt with, we'll release all our footage of him. Once they see what kind of a monster he _really_ is, they'll listen to reason."

He nodded his head to acknowledge the presence of his two specialists, Mayu and Flower.  Mayu was happily laying out a variety of sharp implements on a surgical cart, Flower calmly going over her checklist as she tapped each piece of the Advanced CV equipment with a pencil.

"Did we knock him out?" Lola said as she saw the sleeping form of their "trump card" strapped to the operation table, laying on his stomach.

"The birdy passed out in his cell," Mayu said, sounding disappointed, "But don't worry… I'm sure he'll wake up once the surgery begins."

Thanks to the Seruva, they didn't have time to use anesthesia to put him under.  He'd need to be functional ASAP.  They couldn't chance him still being unconscious when the installation was complete.  She hoped that his state wasn't a sign that he would be too weak to survive the surgery.  It was hard to imagine such a fragile creature was the key to their total domination over the Seruva.

 

"These are the crimes of the present."

The visions flew past Kaito's consciousness so much faster now.  At once he saw the familiar rows of cells that he now recognized as part of Mirror's research facility.  Every one of them held another of his kind. He saw the cell doors open as armored humans roughly grabbed them in groups, marching them away.  He followed them into a massive room filled with people in white coats, surrounded by surgical implements.  Kaito ran past the people he followed inside, examining the machinery.  He recognized several of the metal pieces at once… the same ones attached to Neru's body. A sickening feeling settled in his stomach as Kaito recognized the blonde woman barking out orders to her scientists.

"Hurry, hurry!  We need an army of birdies!"

Though humans performed the deeds, they moved as if they were machines, grabbing each struggling Seruva, shocking them into submission, then quickly and emotionlessly attaching machinery to their bodies as they begged for mercy.

Soon Kaito stood in a familiar cavern, staring at the very rift he now remembered being used to steal his memories from him.  Meiko stood in front of it, spreading her arms wide.  "We must not be afraid to take any measures necessary!  The Seruva will never be safe until the world below is free of them!"

Kaito recognized several of the warrior caste, people he'd trusted with his life.  "If she is helping the Seruva's greatest traitor, then she must be purified first!"

He saw Commander Lily being held fast by black chains in front of the rift as Meiko drew black energy out of it, forming it into the shape of a ball and hurling it at her. 

The warrior writhed in place as it latched onto her, her brilliant wings turning pitch black, familiar red markings running along her face as her body became more bird like.  In moments, she was calm and the chains released.  "I am your servant, Master," she proclaimed to Meiko as she stood tall.

"There's… there's no difference between us anymore…" Kaito murmured, "No matter what happens, we're being carved up into monsters…"

Finally he saw himself in the skies of Tsubasa City, watching as the human-mutilated Seruva fought to the death against Seruva corrupted by Noise.  Not a single human needed to fight – they'd simply crafted a war in which the Seruva would simply bleed each other dry.

Again Kaito sat on the throne, the man in white and the man in black watching him intently.  "You must judge them, Arbiter," spoke the man in white.

"The judgement is execution," spoke the man in black.

"I'm not killing anyone!" Kaito shouted, "I'm going to find a way to end this!  If I destroy the Noise… it all ends!"

Both men remained emotionless at Kaito's emotional proclamation.  "You cannot abstain, Arbiter," spoke the man in black.

"You cannot abstain, Arbiter," spoke the man in white.

A dissonant melody played around him as they repeated their statements again.

"You cannot abstain, Arbiter."  "You cannot abstain, Arbiter."

_You cannot abstain, Arbiter._

As Kaito came to, he was aware of lying face down on a metal platform and of binds around his limbs.  The shock collar was gone, but as he blinked and craned his neck, he saw several soldiers with guns pointed straight at him.  There would be no great disappearing acts this time.

His jacket, scarf, and shirt had been stripped off, exposing his back.  He shuddered as he saw a familiar blonde woman bounce into the room with him.  "You've had quite the experiences, haven't you birdy?" she cooed.

Kaito kept his silence, refusing to grant her a reaction.  He heard a wheeling cart and watched as an odd woman with white and black hair in a frizzy ponytail entered with various surgical tools and equipment.  In a flash, Kaito realized what they were planning to do to him.

"I wouldn't try singing a song here either, birdy," Mayu chirped, "Or we'll pump you full of paralysis serum."

Kaito tried to think of some way out of their machinations for him.  As the dissonant melody crawled through his mind, he feared having no defense over it.  Worse… if the equipment they intended to install in his body generated Noise somehow…

_Arbiter.  You cannot abstain._

What was going to happen to him?

"You don't understand…" he pleaded, "The Noise wants everyone dead… it doesn't care if it's a Seruva or a human… you can't control it…"

"There's nothing I can't control," Dr. Flower said flatly, turning to a glass observation window.  "Right, Mr. and Mrs. Heart?"

Kaito craned his neck further to try and see the two people responsible for everything happening tonight.  For the war reigniting.  For the oncoming end of the world.  He couldn't make out their faces behind the frosted glass, but he could see their silhouettes.

"Flower, begin the operation."

_Arbiter.  You cannot abstain._

 

"Aaaaand…. Aircraft guns are DOWN!" Gumi announced, "Security systems are starting to go offline!"

With that warning, Gakupo turned to Lily and nodded.  Scooping up Luka, he, his former Commander, and roughly a dozen other warriors took to the skies and began their flight towards the Mirror research towers.

Bullets sprayed the air as several magical shields appeared at once.  Gakupo carefully chose his flight path to keep away from the projectiles – suddenly losing his flight could put him at a major disadvantage.  Clearly the humans working with Mirror were ready for him.  But this was just part of his plan – they would divert their forces to the front of the structure to stop him from entering.  He just had to break through that line.

He kept his eyes on the doors Gumi informed him were the most direct point of entry.  Above all else, that's where he needed to target his flight path, then allow his allies to protect himself, Luka, and Gumi as they moved inside. Gumi, naturally, seemed to be taking advantage of most of the eyes being on the air.  Gakupo heard the scooter rev up and watched her zoom underneath him.  On cue, he sang a shield ballad for her, her entire body and vehicle covered in a moving purple dome.

Gumi had called it a "hamster ball attack", whatever that meant.  She let out a wild yell as she plowed through the soldiers on the ground.  After the first several rows went flying from the force of the impact, they began to scatter as she weaved her way around the ranks.  The shield wouldn't stay up forever, but Gumi was actually counting on that as she made her way to the doors…

"That's right, you clowns!  Ranka-chan, show them no mercy!"

Approaching the front, Gakupo let out a cry and the shield exploded in a shockwave of energy, blasting them off their hinges.

So far…. so good.

Luka covered the two of them in a pink dome as they descended.  Now the _real_ battle was beginning.

He looked over his shoulder to the skies and saw them filled with black-winged attackers.  The war had already begun.  "Gakupo… who are _they!?_ "

Luka was pointing at the skyward approach of white-winged Seruva but something was different about them… they had pieces of metal affixed to their bodies and they flew in an eerie pattern…

"Those are Flower's…" Gumi growled, "Found em' under her CV Project.  Didn't get all the data on em' but… it's probably the same stuff they're doing to Blue and the twins right now…"

Gakupo clenched his sword hilt.  "Not if we stop them first."

"Here they come!" Luka shouted, prepping another shield as the corridor filled with armored personnel.

"Keep em' busy, I'm going to hack into their security!" Gumi shouted, "Just keep pushing forward!"

Gakupo looked over his shoulder to see Lily and her troops holding the line behind him, preventing a pincer attack.  Such a glorious battle awaited him this day…

 

Miku was slammed into a long metal platform, her hands and ankles quickly bound in place.  She briefly tugged against the bindings, but the computer system clearly had them locked down tight.

With that, she noticed one of the scientists removing the collar from around her neck using an odd device that made her think of the tag removers she'd seen at department stores.  While for a moment she felt relief, the attachment of electrodes to her forehead made her realize _why_ they'd pulled the collar off. Kaito had said they would take it off… when they intended to torture him.

A long-haired blonde entered, wearing a pair of yellow reflective goggles, a yellow coat, and a black bodysuit and boots.  She clutched Miku's sword in her hands.

"We're ready when you are, Security Chief Cyva," said a man manning a control panel covered in odd buttons and levers.

The woman moved towards the bound Miku and regarded her coldly. "Hatsune Miku?"

The woman spoke Japanese with a rather thick American accent.  "Right now the Seruva are attacking Tsubasa City… it's all-out war."

Miku swallowed.  So Meiko was finally acting on all her threats.  She only hoped everyone outside was safe…

"You'd best start divulging any information on them that you were given… I'm authorized to use force if you don't talk."

She wouldn't tell anyone at Mirror _anything_.  "I already saw how you treated Rin and Len!" Miku shouted.

This "Cyva" person appeared unmoved by her pleas.  "The Geminis are Mirror property.  Now, out with it.  What's the Seruva's strategy?  What enchantments did they put on this weapon?"

Miku clammed up immediately.  Nothing she could say would change anyone's opinion.  The woman sighed and nodded to someone at a control panel.

As a lever was pushed, Miku felt a course of electricity shoot through her body, causing her to cry out.  As the pulses ended, her integrator didn't miss a beat.

"We've already scanned your body.  They've performed no enhancements to your form," Cyva continued, "But there WAS something done to this weapon."

Her sword was so close… if she could only break these binds, Miku could escape and start freeing Kaito and her friends…

"Don't tell me they won you over to their cause?" Cyva said, annoyance in her voice.

Miku's silence seemed enough of an answer.

"Give her another jolt."

This time Miku clenched her teeth to try and stop from shouting.  She didn't want this awful woman to know she was in pain.  She needed to keep her strength up if she was going to escape. "Where's Kaito?" Miku asked as the electricity switched off.

Cyva appeared confused.  "Kaito?  Is that the blue-haired Seruva's name?"

She adjusted her goggles.  "By now he's on the top level undergoing Advanced CV conversion."

'Advanced CV?'  Miku shuddered.  She didn't want to imagine seeing Kaito covered with machinery and treating her like a stranger… but she'd already seen something similar done to her best friends.

Mirror had no concern for the lives they ruined.

Cyva placed a hand to an earpiece as Miku vaguely heard shouting into it.  "Wait, WHAT happened?!"

'That better be Sempai and Gakupo…' Miku thought hopefully.

 

Rin felt as though she was awakening from a dream.  She blinked as she tried to realize where she was, but all she could see was the glass door of the tight steel capsule she was in.  She vaguely remembered being told she and her brother were being put in hibernation before her mind became a blank as it filled with one order. 

_Go to hibernation._

'That's right!  That's how it happened when Len and I were being controlled before… My memories were all fuzzy!'

… so why wasn't she being controlled _now?_

She decided it didn't really matter – if she was awake… maybe Len was too.  And if Len was awake… he'd want to escape as badly as she did.  She pounded on the glass and after a few moments she heard someone else pounding as well.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus only on her heartbeat.  On feeling Len's heart beating with hers.  As she felt that familiar sensation, she thought of the will to escape and summoned a ballad…

Lightning exploded outside of the capsules, knocking Rin's over with her inside.  She let out a shout as she was rolled around, but fortunately the door popped open as it came to a standstill.  Rin gingerly stepped outside.  "Len?  You okay?"

She heard her brother groaning from across the room and hurried over to his capsule, helping him up.  "I'll be fine…" he mumbled, "Let's just patch ourselves up…"

As Rin helped her brother stand and sing the ballad of healing, she noticed some odd hardware on the back of his neck, just under the collar of his white shirt and his ponytail.  A casing seemed to be covering some kind of node or chip.

"Len!  Your neck!  Check your neck!"

He patted down the back of his neck as Rin felt under her brown hoodie and her hair and placed her fingers on something metallic as well.  "Crap!  That's how they're controlling us!" Len said, "We gotta get these off somehow…"

Rin tried prying hers off with her fingernails.  No matter how much it hurt, she couldn't get it to move.  "Maybe Oliver would know how to get these off?"

"Ollie?  You know where Ollie is?"

Rin stood stone still as a familiar voice spoke to her.  She slowly turned her head to see the two people she wanted to see even less than her parents. Big Al and Sweet Ann. In seconds, Rin and Len were at each other's sides, hands grasped tightly.  "We're…. we're not scared of you!" Rin said, her voice shaking.

Big Al looked at her in utter confusion.  "We're… not trying to scare you?" he said quizzically, "We just want to know where Oliver went.  Normally _he_ wakes us up."

He rubbed a hand along his broad chin.  "Of course he was acting so very unusual during the last mission… needs of the many and all that…"

Rin remembered how the duo had spoken so highly of Oliver.  Right now neither twin had any allies they could count on here – and they had no idea when their minds might be controlled again.  She turned to Len, who seemed to be arriving at the same conclusion.  "The Hearts said they were 'salvaging' Oliver.  Whatever that means."

"WHAT?!" Big Al roared, "They wouldn't… they… they…"

He and Sweet Ann took one look at each other, then back to the twins.  "Tell us where he is, at once!" Sweet Ann barked.

"How should I know?!" Len shot back, "I've never been here before!"

"Big Sweet" seemed utterly flummoxed.  "Then… if he's not in hibernation with us…" Big Al mused aloud.

"… oh!  Of course!  Med Bay is where they always operate on him, they'll probably salvage him there too!" Sweet Ann finished.

Without even waiting for the twins to say anything else, the monstrous pair charged through the solid metal door like it was paper.  "Ollieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!  We're COMING sweetie!"

Rin blinked.  "Um… I hope we did the right thing…" she said.

"Well they should keep our folks busy before…"

Len's voice trailed off as his face turned to a blank.  Rin was about to ask why before she felt that force overwhelm her mind again, driving her true self to the background and binding her to only one order.

_Kill all intruders.  Kill the samurai._

"Kill all intruders.  Kill the samurai."

 

Miku watched as Cyva kept yelling instructions into her phone.  "Are the Geminis back online!?  Good, send a security team down to the CV bay… he ripped through the reinforcements already?!"

She paced back and forth as her temper flared.  "Get another squad there, those CVs are worthless if we can't get the hardware installed!"

Clearly the situation was going far out of her control.  She started tapping Miku's sword on the ground.  "… the FX units are trying to break into Med Bay?!  Get the security walls close, those walls are 3 feet thick, even the FX's can't punch through it… and get that virus dealt with before…"

Miku felt the metallic bindings around her limbs suddenly loosening.  She was _free!_   And everyone was too distracted with the situation outside her interrogation to notice!  She had to make this count…

Quickly Miku pushed herself into a flying somersault, kicking at Cyva as she passed over her.  She felt her foot impact the woman's back, sending her and the sword flying.

Miku rolled along the floor as she caught her weapon and ran for the door, grasping the shock collar implement as she ran through.  Before the door guard could turn and shoot at her, she knocked him out with the butt of her sword and burst out of the lab.

She tried to make sense of the layout in front of her.  Kaito was on the top floor… she needed an elevator… or someone that could fly safely…

'… Cyva was talking like the CV bay was around here… maybe they haven't taken control of all those other Seruva yet!'

Miku could hear Cyva shouting about her escape… she had to hope she wasn't about to run into reinforcements with only a samurai sword to defend herself…

 

As Oliver struggled to maintain his composure as another attack seized his body, he tried to fight off the fear of the death he was about to face.  He'd already been strapped into a chair and hooked up to an IV.

This death was right, he thought.  He'd hurt so many innocent people… regardless of why, he saw his hands as too stained by blood.  He'd failed to protect his siblings in the end… and he'd failed Al and Ann.

But the staff seemed rather pre-occupied by some events going on around them.  He tried to make out the chatter around him to figure out what was upsetting them so much that they'd delayed his execution.  Then he became aware of a pounding noise in the building.  As if someone was breaking through solid walls.

'Shouldn't they have put up the security barriers by now?' he thought to himself.

Unless… Gumi had already gotten his drop… and turned off the security barriers…

A loud pounding shook the room as a crack appeared in the wall across from Oliver.  The few armed people inside pointed their guns at the wall.  "Why isn't the voice synthesis working?!" one of them cursed.

"It's offline!  Just like the barriers!"

Another pounding and the wall nearly buckled right there.  All sounds aside from Oliver's involuntary choking ceased as everyone stared at the wall in fear.

This time the wall exploded in a burst of cement, wood, and metal.  As dust blew through the room, Oliver heard gunshots fired, but he doubted any one of them hit.

_"Set me free, can't you see that I'm fracturing?!"_

Oliver smirked in spite of his coughing fit.

_"Set me free can't you see that I'm gone?!"_

In seconds pure chaos erupted as bodies flew through the room.  "Ollieeeeeeeee!  Where are you?!"

As the dust settled, Oliver couldn't be happier to see "Big Sweet" staring right at him.  "There you are!  You're still safe and sound!"  Ann looked pleased with herself, then shot a glare to a cowering scientist.  "Take him out of that contraption at once!"

The frightened man nodded and quickly pulled out Oliver's IV needle and unstrapped him from the chair.  He dusted the boy off and helped him to his feet.  Then he shot a fake smile to the stitched up duo staring him down.  "All… all yours!"

He then ran for his life out of the hole in the wall, following the other fleeing (conscious) staff as Big Sweet approached Oliver.  "To think they'd pull such a devious trick on us!" Big Al said, "It almost worked too!  But we thought there was something weird about your voice."

Sweet Ann giggled.  "It was just _too_ mechanical, you know!?"

Oliver felt dizziness starting to take him and stumbled as he tried to step forward.  Ann grabbed him and held him steady.  "I'll… I'll be fine…" he said, "Where are Rin and Len?"

"Oh, we just passed them!" Big Al said with a huge grin, "They woke us up and told us about you… oh and they wanted your help with something pressing!  Hmph, wonder what it was?"

"And then they flew away!" Sweet Ann finished, "I didn't know they could _fly!_ "

'It must be something Flower did to them…' Oliver thought, 'Maybe they wanted me to disable her equipment?'

He wasn't an expert in _removing_ the surgically attached nodes she'd placed on them, but he _did_ know which piece to break to at least grant them free will again. "Where did they fly to?"

"I don't know, but one of them said something like… Kill the samurai?" Big Al said.

Oliver sighed.  "I guess we'll just have to start heading towards the main entrance and hope they're fighting him up there…"

At least he could fix _one_ of his mistakes.  He grabbed a surgical knife and shoved it in his pocket.

 

As the latest wave of guards collapsed in front of Gakupo and Luka's attacks, she quickly took stock of her team.  At some point Gumi had grabbed a grenade – something that _easily_ shocked Luka given the girl's wild side.

She quickly sang a healing ballad to clean the wounds of herself and Gakupo, who'd naturally been taking the brunt of the attacks.  Even as the two Seruva pressed on, Gumi barely seemed to engage with the chaos around her as she kept working at the laptop, somehow balancing it in one hand while typing with the other.  "They're runnin' scared now…" she muttered, "That's what they get for thinking they could stop the Great Gumini!"

"I don't suppose you've figured out where Kaito or Miku are?  Or if we're about to get attacked?"

"Well I was hacked into their Noise control circuits for a bit but they kicked me out… so we _might_ be about to get messed up by Shortstuff and Creampuff…"

"Wait… Noise Circuits?!  They're using _Noise_ to control the Kagamines?!"

To think the twins were getting their heads filled with Noise to keep them compliant… then surely the same technology was also controlling the strange mechanically enhanced Seruva outside…

Her heart raced as she tried to think of what would happen if _Kaito_ were implanted with such a device.  She'd already learned from observation that Sujata Hama wasn't a traditionally summoned spirit, but something the Spirit Caller had to transform themselves into.

… then Sujata Raka… must be the same.

If Sujata Raka created Noise… then Kaito being controlled by Noise could very well spell the end of all life if it summoned the black winged destroyer…

"You have to admire these human's insistence on just smashing dark magic into everything they can think of without regard," Gakupo quipped, "After all, what could possibly go wrong?!"

At least Gakupo still had his sense of humor. As the two of them rounded a corner, a bolt of lightning slammed into the wall in front of Luka.  She turned quickly to see Rin and Len.  She cursed her luck – she hadn't wanted to fight either of them, but their eerie emotionless faces told her they were back under their parents' control.  "Gumi, can you interrupt the program controlling them!?"

Gumi ducked behind the corridor out of sight.  "I'll do my best, but I haven't been able to get access to those controls yet!"

"They're just going to slow us down…" Gakupo muttered, "But we can't leave them behind either… not again…"

Luka unleashed a barrage of arrows to try and disrupt their melodies.  She had to hope somehow the three of them could wear the twins down and maybe get the equipment off of them…

 

Miku followed the sound of screaming, as she had a hunch what was going on.  She couldn't save Kaito alone and she needed allies.  She just had to hope they were still of sound mind.

She burst into a laboratory and felt sick just seeing the staff holding concious Seruva down.  "Let go of them!  Now!" Miku shouted, holding her sword threateningly.

A spray of bullets sent her running – the room was _not_ unguarded.  She charged towards the nearest conversion station and saw the black-haired Seruva from before, her back bleeding from the surgical cuts.  The staff holding her backed off as they saw Miku's approach and she slipped the girl the collar removal tool.  "Use this to get that stupid collar off!" she said, before ducking another round of gunfire.

A group of men charged straight towards her with batons and Miku held out her sword, hoping it would slice through their armor.  She hadn't intended to kill anyone tonight but… Gakupo had taught her to do _exactly_ that. One by one she disarmed the guards of their weapons, trying not to inflict lethal damage.  She kept looking for an opening to knock them out when she heard the click of a gun behind her.

A bright green dome of light formed around Miku's body as she heard a woman's voice around her.  Within seconds, the bullets intended for Miku ricocheted off of it.  The dome began to glow with light and then exploded around her, knocking them away.  Miku rushed in the direction she'd heard the gunfire coming from, knocking the weapon away from the dazed man and grabbing him gruffly by his collar.  "Where's the top level research lab?! Where are you keeping Kaito?!"

He snarled at Miku.  "You think Leon Heart wouldn't find some way to make me pay for talking?!"

"It's _his_ funeral if he thinks he can control Kaito…" Miku threatened, putting her blade in the man's face again, "Now… talk.  Or I could just let the Seruva in here deal with you lot."

She glanced around the room as her new ally had already begun letting the other Seruva loose along with herself.  The scientists and staff cowered in fear of their victims suddenly gaining power over them.

"… He doesn't pay me enough to get torn apart by flying rats."

Miku dragged the guard back to his feet.  "Good.  Show me the way."

She turned to the other Seruva.  "How many of you can fight?  I… I need your help."

She looked to their faces for some kind of trust but all of them looked at her much the way Kaito had when she first met him – frightened and defiant.  Miku took a deep breath.  "My name is Hatsune Miku.  I know none of you have any reason to trust me… because I'm human and humans have done nothing but hurt you."

She tried to meet the eyes of the one person that had taken steps to help her.  "But… right now, Kaito, your Spirit Caller, needs help.  I promised I'd always protect him.  I'll go by myself if I have to but… I don't know what I'm going to face."

The black-haired woman stepped forward.  "You are... a friend of Kaito's?"

"… more than a friend…" Miku said, blushing deeply.

The woman looked around her before stepping forward.  "I will accompany you.  My name is Avanna, of the priest caste.  It is my sacred duty to protect the Spirit Caller."

She looked to the other Seruva, who nodded their approval.  "We… we'll come too…" spoke a girl with red hair and a side ponytail, "You're the only human who's ever been kind to us… and I just want to go home."

Miku gave a thumbs up.  "Don't worry!  Once Kaito's safe, that won't be a problem!"

The girl looked apprehensive, but she approached Miku with courage.  "My name is Cul. Lead the way."

 

Kaito tried to block out the incredible pain as piece by piece his body was altered by Mayu and Flower.  They'd finished the joints on his arms and begun operating on his back. But as they kept carving him up, only one question remained in his mind.

"… why are you so afraid of us?" he gasped out.

Mayu giggled, but said nothing.  Flower remained her unemotional self.  Finally, a female voice spoke from the intercom of the observation area. "Because of what you can do."

Kaito cried out as he felt metal rods pressed into his spine.  Clenching his teeth, he tried to force out another question.  "I would never… harm… a human…" he said through pained breaths.

"There's only one way we can be sure of that," Lola continued, "In the great extinction event, a single Seruva killed a million people across the globe… in hours.  Right as we speak, your kind are trying to tear this city apart."

"You started the war again!" Kaito shouted, "We just wanted to be left alone!  Why wasn't that enough for you?!"

"My wife and I have spent our entire lives ensuring that the Seruva can never repeat their genocide," Leon answered, "They wrote prophecies that a black bird would destroy the world.  The End."

Kaito remembered the former Heralds he'd met beyond the veil warning him of the End.  Was that truly as close as Leon and Lola seemed to believe?

_Arbiter._

… did the Noise intend him to create that End with his own hands?

Kaito heard movement as several Mirror troops began to brace the door to the room.  "That lock is controlled in this room.  That virus in our systems won't be able to open it.  Once we know he's ours… we'll have him clean them up."

Leon sounded positively bored by the apparent chaos.  Kaito only hoped his friends would reach him before Leon turned him against them… or before "The Arbiter" overtook him…

 

Gakupo tried to maintain his focus on his and Luka's fight with the Kagamines.  He'd been forced into a stalemate – neither side possessed enough power to take the other out.  With the time he wasting trying to get the upper hand on the twins, he feared the remainder of Mirror's forces cornering him and taking them in. As a lightning blast separated him from Luka, he also acknowledgde that he was holding back.  He didn't want to hurt them.  He never wanted to be responsible for harming a loved one again. "Gakupo!  There's something on the back of their necks!" Luka shouted.

Gakupo tried to fly around to get a better perspective.  He only managed to stay behind the twins for a moment but he _finally_ spied strips of metal on the back of Len's neck… one of the pieces gave him an eerie sensation.  As if he could sense…

… dissonance.

The sound of gunfire broke him out of his concentration.  Too slow, he felt bullets pierce his wings, knocking him out of his flight pattern.  "Gakupo!" Luka cried out, casting a shield around him.

"No!  Luka!  Shield yourself!"

Exactly what he'd been trying to avoid… an attack on multiple fronts. He tried to form a shield of his own but he saw the Kagamines beginning to get in position around him.  He didn't think he could close a dome around himself and Luka in time. As he finally caught sight of a squad of human troops, Gakupo saw Gumi throwing a metal ball.  "Nasu-san, BOOK IT!" she shouted, as he saw her holding the pin…

He tried to fly away, luring the Kagamines with him as the hall erupted into chaos, the explosion scattering the men firing on him.  He coughed as smoke filled the hall…

… and then he heard the _last_ sound he'd wanted to hear during this entire operation.

_"Once I was made for war game, my job was hit the bother! My boss was as cold as ice, so he thought of me as "defective"!"_

All other threats ceased to be important as he tried to make out where the voice was coming from.

_"But now I "rebirth" as your diva, fever lots believer, chance will come soon, so stand up! All soldiers!"_

"Aha!  You ALMOST managed to pierce my skin with those bullets!"

As the smoke cleared, Gakupo was surprised to see Big Al and Sweet Ann… fighting his enemies.  He almost felt _sorry_ for the humans now.  The duo practically walked through them and set their sights on the Kagamines.

"Oh!  Ollie, I found them!" Ann chirped.

Apparently now even the _twins_ were confused as to their targets.  "Just hold them and I'll deal with the Noise Circuits!"

Gakupo heard the voice of a child in the hall.  He stood in a defensive posture as he started healing his wings with a ballad in his second voice.  "Who are you!?"

A boy stepped forward, wrapped in bandages around his face and limbs but otherwise well dressed and groomed.  He couldn't be more than twelve years old.  "Don't worry!  They work for me… we're here to help!"

 _That_ seemed to finally cause the twins to attack "Big Sweet" instead.  Despite Gakupo being rather distrustful of the duo, he switched his strategy to trying to overpower Rin and Len.  Naturally, Big Sweet attacked as they always did – with overwhelming force and no regard for personal safety.  In seconds Rin and Len were forced into simply casting shields to stop the flurry of punches and kicks coming their way.

Gakupo looked to Luka and she seemed to understand.  He felt her heart beating with his as he extended his arm for an arrow…

In a flash of brilliant purple and pink light, two arrows shattered two shields.  Gakupo winced as each member of Big Sweet dove forward and pinned down one of his friends. The young boy immediately rushed to their sides, holding a scalpel in one hand.  "You have a sword… just do the same thing I do!"

Gakupo approached Rin and smiled softly at her.  "I'm going to set you free, Rin-chan…" he whispered to her…

 

Len finally snapped back to consciousness… just like the last time, his head swarmed with memories of what he'd been forced to do as the orders flooded his mind. Unlike last time, he was being pinned down by a _very_ familiar person. "HEY!  Let go of me, you crazy rag doll!"

"Now now, that's so rude!" Sweet Ann scolded, "You asked for _help_ before, remember?!"

"AH!  Gaku-niichan, you're okay!"

So Rin was back too… Len tilted his head in the direction of her voice to see Gakupo standing over her, pulling his sword away from the back of her neck.  Len was able to make out a deep puncture in the device attached to her body… had Gakupo done the same for him as well?

"Len… do you remember what happened to you? Are you okay?"

"Sempai!" he said with a smile as he laid eyes on Luka, "You guys busted in here by _yourselves?!_ "

"Pffft…. Not entirely by themselves, Shortstuff."

Of course _Gumi_ would be here to rub it in.

"Ann… Al… you can let go of them now.  We've severed the Noise circuits binding them."

'That voice…'

As Sweet Ann released him, Len bolted to his feet and turned to see the one person he never thought he'd see again. His brother. Oliver.

"It's… it's really you…" Len whispered.

Oliver looked not a day older than the last time Len had seen him alive.  His face was surprisingly stoic. Before Len could get another word out, Rin rushed forward and tackle hugged the poor boy.  She began to cry as she held him, Oliver looking stunned at her reaction.  "Oliver… they said you died…"

Oliver finally allowed himself to hug Rin.  She was actually taller than him now.  "I almost did… they used me in cybernetics experiments to keep me alive…"

Len didn't want to wreck the reunion but he needed a question answered.  "Oliver… Leon and Lola said you worked for them…"

The boy winced.  "I… I did.  'Big Sweet' works for _me_."

Rin let go and looked to the odd duo as the monstrous pair waved cheerfully at her.  "And we wouldn't have it any other way!" Al called out.

"Waiiiit… they take orders from a small fry like you?" Gumi said in surprise.

Oliver looked to the duo and nodded his head.  "When I was going to be salvaged… these two were on the chopping block with me.  We became friends.  And they broke loose from the staff when they heard I was taken away..."

He smiled faintly.  "I talked them down.  I was the _only_ person they'd take orders from.  So… I started handling the Heart's off-the-books operations."

Just as quickly, that smile faded.  "I… I used to manage the Seruva that came in for processing… I planned the retrieval ops… I oversaw the distribution of the Noise Generators… I even sent them after your friend."

He clenched his fists.  "Everything I did… I did to protect you two from them… I knew what you were and what the Hearts wanted with you… I didn't want you to end up a slave to them too."

He looked up to Gumi.  "If I hadn't found you and your blog… I wouldn't have had anyone I could trust to use my information to stop them..."

Gumi's eyes widened.  "FINCH!" she shouted, "Holy cow, I knew you were in deep but… this is AWESOME!"

Oliver grasped at his chest and began coughing.  Len reached forward to steady him as he appeared to lose his balance.  As the fit passed, Oliver tried to regain his composure. "I'm sorry… I've no right to be your brother anymore…"

Gakupo scoffed.  "We've all got debts to repay," he said sternly, "Right now, you can repay yours if you help us rescue our other friends.  Where would they keep Miku and Kaito?"

Oliver's mood shifted to pure focus.  "They'd be separated… Miku's probably being worked over by Cyva for intel… and Kaito would be getting converted into an advanced CV…"

"They're going to turn him into a robot?!" Rin exclaimed.

The boy nodded. "It's up to you which one we save first… the R&D lab they'll put Kaito in would be on the top level and reinforced from the inside… we'd need to break our way in full force."

Gakupo looked to Luka.  "We should probably try to get Kaito first if we can given what they're planning to do to him… he's a greater threat right now.  Miku isn't weak either."

"You think she'll break out on her own?" Luka asked.

Gakupo laughed.  "I certainly taught her enough maneuvers for that!  I wouldn't be surprised to meet her on the way up!"

 

Miku looked up the stair well to the top levels.  Obviously the elevator wasn't an option – those were locked down.  It would be a long walk…

"I'll fly you up.  We'll be there in seconds."

Miku turned to Avanna and smiled.  "Thank you…"

The woman gripped Miku tightly and took to the air, maneuvering through the winding stairs and past dozens of security doors.  The other Seruva that chose to come surrounded her.  "How are we going to get through these doors?" Cul asked.

"We'll have to try and blast them with magic… that's all I've got!" Miku shouted as the floors rushed past.

She hoped she was approaching Kaito in time… she hoped she was going to be able to save him…

 

_Arbiter.  You cannot abstain._

Kaito couldn't block out the pain in his body anymore.  The most painful attachments had been the ones affixed to his forehead and running down his spine.  Now he understood exactly how much Neru had suffered in her brief rebirth.

_Their cruelty is without mercy nor purpose._

"Poor little birdy… does it hurt?" Mayu ran a finger along Kaito's face.  "Soon you won't feel anything though.  Soon… you're going to be our pet and crush all the other birdies."

She giggled maniacally.  "And then there won't be a single Seruva left that we won't control."

Kaito weakly tried to speak in spite of the overwhelming agony he felt.  "I… I told you… it doesn't… care… human or Seruva… the Noise… will consume everything…"

"No.  _You_ will.  Or rather… you _would._ "

Leon laughed.  "But now you're company property.  Just like the Geminis."

'Rin… Len…' Kaito thought mournfully.

_Their crimes are endless and inflicted by greed._

"Activate the Mesmeratic Override," Lola commanded.

"No… please…" Kaito pleaded one last time, "You don't know what's going to happen…"

"Noise Circuit… engaged."

Kaito's mind flooded with the dissonant melodies, the screeching, clawing, scraping, banging sensations.  He felt his sense of self disintegrating, trying to obliterate anything that could not be turned to the will of his orders.

_You serve Mirror.  You are a tool._ _Arbiter, you cannot abstain._

'I… I can't tell them apart anymore!' he thought in a panic.  He wanted to shout, anything to try and reassert himself… there were two melodies warring for control over him, and he was being torn apart.  Unable to stop them, to sing the ballad to center himself, he had no ability to fight for his own identity anymore.

_Tool.  Arbiter.  Tool.  Arbiter.   Tool.  Arbiter._

White streaks like paint began to form into elaborate patterns along his face and body as his wings turned a deep black color…

 

"This looks like the top level!" Miku shouted, "Full fire on those doors!"

Avanna let out a force wave ballad, shaking the door but not breaking it.  Cul followed, and soon several more force ballads began to press against it.  The hinges shook – it would not withstand this much longer…

 

Leon watched the doors in alarm.  Someone was trying to break in!

"Leon!  I just got a report from Cyva!" Lola exclaimed, "The human got out and broke out our last batch of CVs before they could be converted!  On top of that… Big Sweet is loose, the Geminis Noise circuits are dead, and the 'Harbinger' cut his way through the center of the facility.  We're being attacked on all sides!"

Leon waved to the soldiers surrounding Kaito.  "Reinforce the door!  Open fire on _anyone_ that gets through!  Mayu, Flower, to me!"

Flower and Mayu obeyed at once, slipping into the room and closing the reinforced doors.  "I'll ensure our Advanced CV deals with anyone that makes it through," Flower spoke with certainty.

All Leon, Lola, Mayu, and Flower could focus on was the shaking and trembling of the door. Had they been more alert, they would have paid attention to their prisoner as he began to sing a twisted, dissonant ballad.  Lightning burst around him, shattering his restraints to the table.  They turned to see him, now covered in odd white symbols, his eyes pale white.

"I… am the Arbiter of Noise…" he murmured, "I… must render judgement… against all injustice…"

"Flower!  Turn him off!" Leon ordered.

"I… I'm trying! CV, stand down!  CV, you belong to US!"

He twitched a moment, but shrugged off her commands.  "I… I can't shut off the Noise Circuit!  It's not responding anymore!"

"Open fire on _him_!" Lola shouted.

A barrage of bullets and tranqs flew in the direction of the self-proclaimed Arbiter… only for the Seruva to place up a protective dome of black energy, absorbing every single hit.  When their ammunition appeared exhausted, he shouted and the energy exploded into a massive shockwave, slamming the guards into the walls.

The Arbiter began to summon black balls of energy as even Leon could hear the dissonant melody building in the room… they'd tried to protect themselves from the wrong foe…

 

As the door burst open, Miku charged inside, flanked by her Seruva allies.  "Kaito!" she shouted, praying she wasn't too late.

She saw him shirtless, holding a massive swirling vortex of Noise in his hands.  "No!  What have they done to you!?" she cried, observing the attachments and white patterns on his body.

"I judge you… guilty."

He released the energy in a massive explosion, targeting the observation room that held the Hearts and their staff.  Miku heard Avanna and Cul forming a shield around the other Seruva and herself, protecting themselves as everything came down around them…

In moments, the blast cleared.  Kaito's attack had blown off the roof and most of the walls, exposing the lab to the outside.  "Kaito!  Please, it's me!  It's Miku!"

He turned to see her and for a moment she thought she saw recognition in his eyes.  Yet that vanished as he took to the air, perching on a wall and surveying the battles taking place in the sky.  Miku cringed as she saw Meiko's black winged Seruva engaging in battle with Mirror's CVs.

She turned to the ruins of the observation room and saw… nothing.

Kaito… had killed the people who hurt him. He'd left nothing of them, unraveling them into the Noise in an instant.

"The endless war… humanity and Seruva alike are guilty…" Kaito murmured, "I must render judgement."

Miku clutched her sword tightly.  She needed to find some way to help Kaito break free of the power holding him fast.  Twisting him into this awful creature.

"MIKU!" cried out a familiar voice.  Her sempai!

She turned to see Luka and Gakupo flying up the stairwell.  Rin and Len followed up behind them, each one holding onto Gumi… as did Big Al and Sweet Ann, who simply jumped out of the inside.  Sweet Ann was holding a small boy with bandages…

"What's going on!?" Gakupo called out as he saw Kaito.

"They… they tried to control him with that equipment… I don't know why he turned into this though… he… he killed the Hearts and…"

Miku stopped when she saw the look on Rin and Len's faces.  They couldn't have any _love_ for their parents at this point, but surely they still didn't want to kill them for it…

"I… am the Arbiter of Noise…" Kaito declared, turning to face the assembled Seruva and Vocaloids, "Do not interfere or I shall judge you next."

Miku took a deep breath.  "Okay guys… just like with the Harbinger… We treat this like a Herald… just like a Herald…"

_  
The Arbiter awakens._

Meiko had seen the explosion and felt the wave of Dark Notes flying out of it.  So she knew where Kaito was.  Where her true target lay.

She began to fly towards him, intending to observe.  If he was finally going to step up and destroy humanity on his own… she would not interfere. If he proved weak again… then she would ensure the power of Sujata Raka did not stay contained within so weak a vessel.

_Claim the power you deserve!_

'I shall!'

Her heartbeat quickened as she realized how preciously close she was to finally destroying humanity.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

_Tear the world asunder!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was CAMEO CITY for tons of Vocaloids that have and haven't shown up yet.  The only one I didn't call out by name was Maika – I just had to get in one of the Spanloids!  But this whole thing was the hardest chapter to write because of how complex all the subplots running together turned out to be.  It took so much longer than most of the other chapters at this point.  Chapter 19, by comparison, took about a week since everyone's back in the same place with the same goals.  I'm in the process of writing the final chapter and the worst delay you guys might see is another where the chapter goes up later in the day on Saturday instead of right at midnight.
> 
>  **Song Credits:**   Of COURSE Big Sweet got to sing one last time!  Big Al sang Ms Constantine's "[Fracture](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_jdSnNeW8E)" and Sweet Ann sang "[Never Afraid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRs2JdrAZjc)."  The Engrishy nature of the lyrics are because the songwriter is Japanese, and I debated trying to correct them but… it's Sweet Ann and she'd absolutely sing a song that doesn't make sense in this story ;)


	19. Linked Nodes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Noise prepares to destroy the world and everything within. Using tool after tool, its power is infinite. Yet in the darkness, a song emerges that refuses to be drowned out. A Harmony. A Harmony that must silence the Noise forever.

He felt as if he were back in the heart of the Abyss all over again, being torn and scratched at by the cacophony of sounds.  Yet now he perceived them differently, the thousands of dead at once.  Humans and Seruva souls alike, obliterated by the rage of Sujata Raka but unable to escape.  Nothing remained but their tormented cries.

Shrieking for so long they'd lost all form.

They were everything and nothing.

They were the Noise, trying to draw everything into their abyss with them.  They could never truly rest, going mad as they shrieked and cried from the endless torment.

He'd rendered his first judgement of the guilty and now he felt those souls drawn into that mass as well.

He heard the melody dancing in his ears, the melody that would draw everything into the Noise for eternity.  Rendering all life into nothing.

And with every ounce of himself, he fought it, even as the Noise wore against him, constantly flooding his mind.

_Sing the ballad.  Summon the guardian.  Render the final judgement._

He refused… how many innocents could be standing in its path?  How many guilty?  Surely he could sort through the innocent and the guilty on his own?

_Arbiter.  Perform the final judgment!_

He watched as the wind blew his discarded jacket to him.  He caught it and slipped it on.  Something about this garment gave him comfort as he contemplated the steps he needed to take…

 

"Why hasn't he summoned Sujata Raka?!" Luka exclaimed as she watched Kaito hovering over them.

"… that's how hard he's fighting," Gakupo said, "This _is_ Kaito fighting back.  And this is what the Noise did to him… to try and force his hand."

Miku pulled up her sword.  "Miku… he will most likely focus on you…" the warrior added, "If this is like… the Harbinger's experience… then it wants to break him.  Your death would do that."

Luka felt unnerved at how Gakupo had begun to separate his actions under the influence of Noise from his own.  While it was _good_ that he wasn't blaming himself any longer, it still kept drawing him back even when he was free of the dissonance.  If she freed Kaito and he sang the ballad of Sujata Hama again… perhaps she could free Gakupo of the Noise's guilt forever…

"Like HELL we're letting anything happen to Miku!" Len shouted, "We just gotta break that chip on the back of his neck and he'll be back to his old self, right?!"

"Yea!  We're gonna save Kaito-niisan!" Rin cheered, "Right guys!?"

Kaito turned his head to the sky and Luka frowned as she saw it filling with black-winged creatures.  "The CVs are being drawn by the dissonance…" Oliver explained, "Even our best units would get pulled in if there was enough Noise… hovering around the source like moths…"

The boy began to have another coughing fit.  "Ollie!" Ann shouted.

"…Miku," Avanna spoke.

Miku turned her head back to look at the raven-haired priestess.  "We'll create a barrier around this space, so they can’t interfere with you rescuing the Spirit Caller."

Big Al flexed his arms.  "That won't be enough…" he said, "What if they just punch their way through?"

He smirked at his partner.  "Indeed… we'll hold back all those wacky birdies!" Sweet Ann said.

"NO!  It's… suicide…" Oliver choked out, clutching at his chest.

As he doubled over, Cul ran forward and grabbed him.   "I'll keep the child alive!" she said, "The rest of you, just create the shield!  You two… you better know what you're doing!"

Seeing a victim of the Hearts trying to save one of the people responsible for their imprisonment gave Luka hope that perhaps their cherished wish of the Seruva and humanity reconciling was not impossible…

"I'm out of grenades…" Gumi said with great disappointment, "You guys… you gotta fix this.  I'll record all of it."

She gave a broad thumbs up.  "The world's gotta know who saved it, right?"

Before the dome closed around the Vocaloids, Big Al and Sweet Ann leapt into the sky at a group of approaching CVs.

Kaito watched the dome and his gaze shifted back to the Vocaloids.  “Attempting to interfere with the Final Judgement results in immediate execution,” he said.

 

Miku glanced at Gakupo, hoping the warrior had _some_ kind of strategy.  "Unfortunately, we need to get close to him and stab the circuit that should be behind his neck…"

"We have to get _close_ to… that…"

Already she hated this plan.  "You'll know it when you see it," Gakupo continued, "If I get there first, I'll take care of it. But the rest of you need to give me and Miku a path to… the Arbiter… so one of us can break the circuit."

"Then what?" Len asked nervously.

Gakupo smiled wryly.  "We just have to hope Kaito can do the rest…" he said.

"Don't worry Gaku-niichan!" Rin said, pumping her fist, "Len and I can handle him!  Sempai, you work on shielding Gaku-niichan and Miku, we'll handle all the attacks!"

"Excellent strategy, Rin," Luka said with a small smile.

Miku glanced up at the dome as she saw it crackling.  Someone was assaulting it from the outside, just as Al and Ann had predicted.  She cringed as she saw some familiar black-winged figures.  Meiko's forces wanted Kaito too.

She'd made such an innocent promise that day in the hospital.  _"I'll always protect you!"_   That was just how she was, wasn't she?  Not wanting to see other people hurt, wanting to prove that her miraculous survival on that horrible day meant something.  Kaito meant so much more to her now than he had when he was a stranger in the park barely clinging to life.

She just wanted to set him free.  So not another soul could hurt him.

Kaito raised his hands in the air as black balls of energy formed around him.  He flung them outward from his body.  "Here he comes!"

A pink shield formed in front of Gakupo and Miku as the spheres exploded on contact.  Rin and Len darted around the shield, forming their yellow wings and taking flight.  Bolts of lightning shot through the air towards Kaito.  He zipped between them with blinding speed, but now his attention was on the twins.

The next wave of energy attacks flew straight towards Rin and Len.  Miku gritted her teeth as she pressed forward with Gakupo, his sword at the ready, Kaito in her sights.  At least he wasn't wearing his scarf… she'd be able to see what she needed to break…

Kaito suddenly swung around and hurled several black spears towards the sword-wielding duo.  Gakupo leapt in front of Miku, twirling Miburi in front of him to knock each one of them away.  "You're not getting me with _that_ old lark again!" he laughed.

'Gakupo… you really _do_ thrive on a battlefield…' Miku thought to herself.  Apparently the end of the world was a blast for him.

"Harbinger…" Kaito whispered.

Gakupo's smile vanished almost instantly.

"You were to bring the end… you were to destroy this sinful city…"

"I am _not_ the Harbinger," Gakupo said as he flew closer to Kaito.

"But you _did_ allow these events to take place…" Kaito continued, "Ignorance is not a defense for your crimes."

"Gakupo, don't let him psyche you out!" Miku shouted to the purple haired warrior.

A smile returned for just a second.  "If he's resorting to taunts, then clearly he's already frightened of me," Gakupo quipped.

He stayed ahead of Miku, his sword drawn and ready to strike.  Kaito prepared another wave of spears when several yellow arrows of light fell in front of him.  He seemed to recognize the need to fight more efficiently and formed a massive scythe out of pure darkness.

Miku jumped towards him, trying to control the shaking in her hands as Kaito swung his scythe towards her.  As Kaito's blank eyes turned towards her, she felt a chill.  "Human… your actions are inscrutable…"

Miku saw him clench a ball of energy tight in his hands.  She held up her sword, expecting to take the brunt of it… when Kaito suddenly turned and slammed it into Gakupo at point blank range.

The Seruva went flying like a rocket, sliding on the cement so hard he left marks in the cement.  "GAKUPO!" Luka shouted.

"GET AWAY FROM MIKU!" Len screamed.

Several bolts of lightning crashed towards Kaito.  They tried to throw their shields up as Kaito flung several more explosive energy spheres.  Miku took the momentary distraction as a chance to run towards Kaito again.  Yet again, he effortlessly met her blade with his scythe.  "You fight for Seruva and you fight for humanity… you fight purely and without regard for self…" he continued, "Your actions are inconsistent."

"I'm fighting to save you, Kaito!" Miku shouted, trying to parry as he took a few more swipes at her.

She heard a loud impact on the Seruva's dome around the building.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Big Al sliding down the dome.  He merely laughed as he sprung away from it to deliver another series of blows to his attackers.

"You were concerned for him, your foe," Kaito spoke as he jumped towards Miku, forcing her to move back into a defensive stance.  She was still looking for an opportunity to get behind him and break the circuit…

"They are self-made monsters," Kaito continued, "Yet you pity them."

"You would too," Miku said quietly, "Kaito… is so kind he can't hate anyone.  Even the people who hurt him.  He would be afraid for them too…"

She wished she could see any kind of reaction from the Arbiter's face, but he remained emotionless.

 

Her words kept trying to pierce his mind.  He _did_ feel sorry for them – broken and scrapped as he was, bent to a tool.  Converted into weapons and discarded at a moment's notice.

All because those he judged as guilty feared him.

 _Sing the ballad and render the final judgement_.

'I must understand her first,' he thought, 'If there is even one without sin… I must not render the end.  I must bear witness.'

 _You cannot abstain, Arbiter_.

'I am not abstaining!' he protested, 'I am taking her testimony!'

He swung his weapon at the pigtailed girl that tore at his heart.  The dissonance, the chaos, it focused so heavily on her.  It wanted to destroy her most of all.

He merely wanted to understand her.

The flow of Noise in his mind kept trying to overpower him, but he was the Arbiter.  He had defined his role as an impartial overseer.  He would not simply destroy because it asked him too.

_Arbiter…_

At once he was the person he was supposed to be and he was also the Noise.  Two beings merged yet engaged in constant struggle against each other.  He perceived the Noise as what it was, and what it needed him to do.  Yet while he couldn’t stop it from controlling him… he _could_ shape how it expressed its will.

For he was the Arbiter of Noise.  
  


"Human!" Kaito shouted, "Why do you struggle so for those who fear you?  Why do you show mercy to those with wings?"

Was Kaito asking these questions?  Was it the Noise?  Was it the "Arbiter?"  Fine, if he focused on her, perhaps it would give Luka time to get Gakupo standing again.  Maybe even give him a chance to strike and break the circuit.  He began a ferocious assault on Miku, forcing her back as she blocked each swipe of the scythe.

"Why do you not fear them, as _they_ did?"

"I could never be afraid of you, Kaito," Miku said softly as she fought back, "You saved me.  All my life… I chased after the boy with wings that spared my life.  And… and I could never be afraid of someone with wings because of that.  Because someone that selfless was someone I wanted to trust."

As another barrage of light arrows plunged towards Kaito, he tilted his head only slightly as he cried out a dissonant melody.  A series of blades rocketed through the air, forcing the Kagamines to fly quickly to avoid them as they crashed against the inside walls of the battle dome.  Miku rushed towards him, her sword outstretched, but Kaito no longer seemed interested in her as he lifted off, chasing the twins.

“Neither human nor Seruva…” He murmured, “Constructed only to kill.  What do you fight for?”

“We… we’re fighting for our friends!” Len said, though Miku heard the hesitation in his voice.

Rin apparently had _no_ hesitation.  “We make our own choices, and we’re choosing to save you Kaito!  And save everyone we love too!”

Kaito seemed to hesitate – where he seemed to have no qualms “judging” Gakupo, the twins seemed to give him some trouble.  As he hovered in the air, Miku finally spied her true target.  A raised piece of metal which seemed to be protecting a small chip on the back of Kaito’s neck.

 _Reaching_ that would be another ordeal all together, as now Kaito was zipping around the dome doing battle with Rin and Len…

 

Could he truly judge pure innocents for their crimes?  They’d been created to destroy, but they’d not chosen that path of their own will.  Even now, they did not appear to have destruction on their minds.

_They are guilty.  They created you._

“Kaito-niisan, you have to fight back!  You’re so strong!”

He wasn’t strong.  He’d always been so weak.  She’d always called him weak.

 _She_ was guilty.  But she wasn’t here.  They were.

And they’d allowed him to become the Arbiter.  Intent mattered not.  If he judged the Harbinger, he could judge them as well.

He picked up speed, hurling a dark wave of power at them.  He needed to break their synchronized harmony to render them useless.

He closed in and fired bolts from each of his hands.  They connected with their targets – the pair fell from the sky, crashing into the ground and leaving indents from the force.

 

“RIN!  LEN!” Miku shrieked.

She closed the distance between them, nervously watching the dome above her as she saw it growing weaker.  She could still barely make out “Big Sweet” doing their best to protect it with their endless stamina, but their opponents seemed to only grow in number.

And she saw her.

Meiko.

Miku was running out of time – if Meiko got to Kaito, she couldn’t predict what would happen next.

A pink arrow flew through the air, drawing Kaito’s attention.

‘Sempai!’

 

Luka just needed to get Kaito to stop focusing on the twins.  Whatever had happened to him, he clearly intended to kill them.  And as Gakupo had said, destroying any of them would likely destroy Kaito as well.

As his blank eyes settled on her, she steeled her bravery.  “Gakupo…” she whispered.

“I… I’ll take care of myself…” he said weakly.  She heard his voice trying to sing the healing ballad.

Kaito hurled a wave of spears towards Luka.  She projected a wide dome around her body.  “Kaito!  You are the Spirit Caller, the savior of our people!  You can control this power!” she cried out.

He seemed to be appraising Luka before throwing another round of projectiles at her.  She began to run, trying to keep the dome around her body to draw his projectiles away from Gakupo.  She barely heard Rin and Len starting a healing ballad of their own as Miku stood over them.

Luka glanced into the pigtailed girl’s eyes.  She looked to Kaito, then back to Miku, hoping she’d get it.  Miku nodded her understanding.

With that she began to run towards Kaito.  “You never think anything through…” he murmured.

Luka’s pace quickened as he flew towards her, his scythe drawn.  He quickly impacted the barrier, cracking it so fast Luka couldn’t safely detonate it.  As one ferocious swipe after another flew her way, she started to sing her force melodies, wielding small bursts of wind with her arms to counter the blades.

“You set these events in motion by your failures,” Kaito whispered.

So now it was _her_ turn.  She smiled wryly.  “And what are my crimes?” Luka asked.

She heard several large cracking sounds and glanced up for just a second to see the dome the Seruva had constructed weakening.  She spied, out of the corner of her eye, the sight of Meiko approaching Big Al and summoning a series of chains that wrapped around his limbs.  She thought she heard fragments of him singing as Meiko tugged at the chains…

Luka tried to focus only on Kaito as she tried to ignore the horrible sight.  She hoped Oliver hadn’t seen it.  She heard a woman’s shriek a few moments later and suspected Ann had met a similar gruesome fate.  The cracking of the dome signaled how little time they had.

“The Executioner would not exist had you not abandoned her to their mercy,” Kaito continued.

Luka hesitated in her spell-casting as the thought settled over her.  She’d never even thought of her role in what happened to Meiko.  “I… I was trying to fulfill my duty and protect you…”

One of the slashes of the scythe came dangerously close to her chest, so close to where Gakupo had impaled her.  “You failed to protect your charge… you failed to protect your mentor… you failed to protect your friends and you failed to protect the man you love…”

Now was _not_ the time to linger on such thoughts.  Right now, fighting the Arbiter _was_ protecting the people she cared about.  Because it was preventing him from hurting them.

She saw a movement close behind Kaito and stopped her assault of wind.  She switched to a shield.  He broke through it, as she expected.  “I’ll take your punishments, Kaito,” Luka said, “If it means sparing others… then I’ll gladly suffer it.”

She stood still as the scythe came her way.  But she had faith she was safe.

Kaito moved to bring his weapon down at her… but then stopped and shouted as he was stabbed in the back of the neck by Miku.

 

The Noise began draining from his perception.  He fought to retrieve his identity, but it did not wish to give him up so easily.  Even without the constant supply of Noise in his head, he still felt the connection he had to it.

_Arbiter!  Your role is in bringing the world’s final judgement!_

“I… I can’t make choices like that!  Innocent, guilty?!  Would you doom everyone to have vengeance!?”

The scythe vanished from his hands as he tried to identify the melodies playing in his head.  One of order, one of chaos.  One of salvation, one of devastation.

Somewhere between was _him_.

_Arbiter, you cannot abstain!_

He couldn’t forget the pain of being altered but he didn’t want to take vengeance… but it wanted him to… against everything alive…

The multitudes screeched out for an end to their suffering and he finally understood.  The end of all life, as they saw it, would destroy them as well.  Ending their existence.

He wanted a way to free them and ferry them to the world beyond… but could he?

 

Kaito collapsed to his knees, clutching at his head and shouting to a voice she couldn’t perceive.  Miku knelt down in front of him.  He looked like he was in so much pain…

“Sempai… you sure had a lot of faith he wouldn’t hurt you…” Miku murmured.

Luka chuckled.  “No, I knew he _would_ try to hurt me,” she said, “I simply had faith that _you_ would stop him first.”

She looked to Gakupo who was standing up as his ballad finished.  “You preyed upon his need to render judgements on people to force him to lower his defenses?”

The Seruva warrior let out a laugh.  “And you called _him_ reckless?!”

Miku tenderly placed her arms around Kaito and drew his body closer to her.  His hands fell to the side as he trembled.  “I… I can’t… choose…” he whispered, “I… I must pass a verdict but I… I…”

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, Kaito,” Miku whispered into his ear in her most soothing voice.

“Kaito!” Gakupo called out, “You had a different plan, remember?  To summon Sujata Hama and end the Noise?”

Kaito twitched in Miku’s arms, but said nothing.  “Kaito-niisan!” Rin shouted as she seemed to recover next, “You’re not just going to give up on Vocaloids, right?”

“Yea, Kaito!” Len piped in, “You’re one of us, not some crazy Arbiter!  We stick together to the end!”

 

_Arbiter…_

“I… I’m a Vocaloid…” he whispered.

He slowly raised his arms and embraced the woman he loved.

Miku.

Miku was human.

He would not destroy humans because Miku was human and he loved her.

He centered his thoughts around this concept, trying to ignore the songs and just focus on his feelings.

Miku… Miku drew him from the abyss.  Miku saved him when he thought himself lost.

…and Kaito had saved Miku.

 

“M…Miku…” Kaito said as his voice shook, “I… I knew… you’d come…”

She tightened her grip on him, feeling the bumps along his spine where the Advanced CV equipment jutted out.  “Kaito… don’t worry… we’ll find some way to get rid of all this… we’ll fix you…”

The white marks faded from his body, his wings brightening to the purest white.

He was back.  She hadn’t lost him. 

But before she could say anything else, the dome over the building shattered.  Miku glanced up as Meiko’s forces advanced on them.

In moments, Gakupo and the Kagamines were back in the air.  Luka closed around Kaito, erecting a barrier to protect him.  Miku didn’t want to let him go… she didn’t want to lose him… but she wanted to protect him…

“We need to get him to safety but…” Luka saw the same difficulty as Miku – there _was_ no safety.  Nowhere to retreat.

Black chains smashed into Luka’s barrier, breaking it apart.  Before Miku could react, the chains wrapped around Kaito and roughly ripped him out of her arms.  “NO!” she screamed, leaping to her feet and grabbing her sword.

Meiko hovered a few feet over them, pulling Kaito close to her.  In his weakened state, he couldn’t fight her.  “Let go of him!” Miku shouted in vain, but earthbound as she was, she couldn’t reach her. 

Luka tried to fire on Meiko, but she soon found herself overwhelmed by the attacking Seruva she’d brought with her as they recognized her as a threat.

The priestess touched a hand to Kaito’s forehead and Miku could hear the horrible melody she sang.  Black energy crackled around her fingers and Kaito cried out.  “If you will not serve your purpose, Spirit Caller… than I will do your job _for_ you,” she said coldly, “Humanity will end tonight.”

“M…Meiko…” Kaito protested, “The Noise… it doesn’t care about humans or Seruva… it… it wants to destroy everything… you won’t be able to stop it…”

The energy left her hands and Meiko simply dropped Kaito to the ground.  Miku ran to his side as Meiko withdrew into the sky.

“Miku…” Kaito said, trying to stand again, “The melody… Meiko… stole my memories of the Hymn…”

“The… Hymn?” Miku asked in fear.

He stared towards her as Miku became aware of a chilling, dissonant song in her voice.  Her body pulsed with black energy.  “Sujata Raka....” Kaito explained, “She stole the power of Sujata Raka…”

 

As the ballad built, Meiko’s heart briefly swelled with triumph.  She had done what no other Spirit Caller had dared do.  Call down their birthright and save their people forever.

And then she felt it – the unbelievable power of the Noise rushing through her body.  Where it once flowed under her tight control, bubbling beneath the surface, her mind suddenly felt as though a damn had burst and with it came the clanging, screaming, distonal force to drown out everything she was.

_Sujata Raka.  The bringer of the End._

She was nothing before it as her body merged with the great power of the Noise.  Its progenitor and its tool.

She was never free, she realized too late.  She’d never broken her chains.  She’d simply shackled herself to another keeper.

And now… it wanted to destroy everything.

He was _right_.

Nothing would survive.

 

Where Meiko once flew a blast of Dark Notes exploded out of the sky.  Kaito clutched Miku close as he tried to focus on retaining the identity he’d fought for in the wake of the power pressing against them.

He recognized the melody from his visions.  He turned his eyes to the sky and saw the enormous black bird in the sky.

As it shrieked out its distonal melody, it tore across the sky.  He could actually sense where reality was ripped apart as a rift formed in the sky, drawing everything towards it.

The first wave of Dark Notes obliterated the possessed Seruva and CVs in seconds.  Kaito felt it trying to pull him in, but he fell back on his vows that saved him only moments before.  He tried desperately to recall the melody that would draw out Sujata Hama.  He had to – otherwise they would all die.

“Blue!  You better come up with something before she blows us up next!”

Gumi was crouching with the remaining Seruva, who huddled around Oliver.  “Come on, go all giant bird on ‘em!”

But the horrible sounds kept fighting him.  He wasn’t the Arbiter anymore – even the Noise found him weak and useless.  As he stared at the form of the world’s destructor soaring through the sky, he began to lose all hope.

“Kaito, can’t you sing the ballad!?  We need Sujata Hama!”

“Luka… I… I can’t…” he said weakly, “To take that melody from me… she stole my memories of the other as well…”

Kaito had been given the means to save the world, and he’d instead become a conduit for ending it.

As the next wave of Sujata Raka’s song burst past, Kaito watched as hundreds of Mirror’s soldiers on the ground vanished, consumed by the Noise.  His powers actually let him _feel_ all of their souls twisting and joining with it.

_“Not to forget the intangible feelings, I deleted the routine layout…”_

Miku sang softly to herself.  She’d picked the song she’d written.  The song he’d inspired her to write.  He suspected she was trying to calm herself down and keep her identity in the face of the Noise.

“Kaito… is there truly nothing left?” Gakupo asked.

Kaito tried to wrack his brain for some answer, some way to reawaken the melody in his heart.  There had to be _something_ he could do!  Some way to summon his power, to use his spiritual connection, some way out!  He couldn’t let everyone die!

_“Grasp the phrase I happened to be humming, spread secret words of the heart into the sky…”_

The memories of the visions the Noise had shown him flashed through his head.  When Sujata Hama and Sujata Raka first appeared, summoned by the Spirit Caller, Haku.  He tried to think of the melody she sang, but the notes wouldn’t come… he just couldn’t work them out…

_“I want to tell you, I want to give you…”_

… but he did recall the _other_ song she sang.

‘All of the other Seruva sang with her, in perfect Harmony…’

Not a ballad with any magic in it.  Just a children’s song.  In the chaos of reliving the past, the torture he’d endured from the Hearts, and the madness of becoming the Arbiter, he hadn’t had time to process _why_ the first Spirit Caller chose to have every Seruva close to her sing a song with no magic…

_“Nodes of feelings form a link, echoing to the faraway distance…”_

‘… because every one of them would know it!’

Kaito rose to his feet and turned to the others.  “Everyone!  Sing with Miku!  Sing the song she wrote!”

Miku stopped right there.  “Wait, WHAT?!” she exclaimed.

Kaito placed his hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring smile.  “I can’t sing my ballad but… we all know your song, right?  It was _our_ song.  The Vocaloids song.”

He felt a flower of hope budding in his heart.  “Kaito-niisan… are you sure this will work?” Rin asked.

He surveyed his friends, all bearing the wounds and marks of battle.  Some of them he’d inflicted himself as the Arbiter.  Others inflicted by their own attempts to rescue him.

“Awwww, come on!” Gumi shouted, “It’s totally one of those crazy ideas you guys get where you don’t have a plan and just wing the hell out of it! Of COURSE it’s gonna work!”

 

Miku placed a hand over her chest.  “It’s not like we have anything else, is there?” she asked, “At least… at least we tried, right?”

She took a deep breath and tried to pick up where she left off.

_“Words I want to tell you, sounds I want to give you…”_

Kaito joined her on the next line.  _“Links of feelings form a world, connect everything, connecting to everywhere…”_

_“The pure white light feels like you…” “The voice flows through my hand held against the light…”_

Luka and Gakupo came in next.

_On the rhythm my fingertips suddenly make, Spread all words of the heart into the sky!”_

Rin and Len completed the group.  All six Vocaloids singing at once.

Miku tried to keep her voice steady as she heard Sujata Raka screeching.  She looked towards the open rift and to her horror a black, shadowy form began to emerge from within.  Like a foggy, liquid creature reaching out and spreading even more Dark Notes with its presence.

‘Is this… is this the true form of the Noise!?’

But she kept up her song, the one that she’d put all of her heart and skill into.  The one that linked her to her friends, that represented all the feelings she had towards the bonds they’d shared.  Six people, so different and yet so similar.  Some human.  Some not.  But all united by a common goal.

_“I had been playing the tune without a doubt about the rhythm of my days!”_

As their voices began to blend together, Miku felt an odd sensation – as though her heart beat with another.

_“I had thought the coming of mornings is a given....”_

And another… as though not just their _voices_ were blending, but their souls.

_“The sounds I believe in even for a second, shift my sceneries…”_

With every heartbeat, Kaito felt the strength and energy of the people he cherished, all focused on just one goal.  Saving the world they loved.  Stopping the Noise from tearing it apart.  As he watched the very entity that nearly consumed him, he felt defiant.

Gakupo’s strength.

Luka’s will.

Rin’s cheer.

Len’s courage.

Miku’s determination.

And he finally felt it – the power welling up inside of him.  As the lyrics of Miku’s song left his lips, his second voice began a familiar melody.  The one that would save them all.

_“Tell your world!”_

The ballad surrounded him, the familiar sensation of unfathomable energy surrounding him.  A brilliant white light shone as he became aware of the power of creation using him as a conduit.  But he made a choice this time – he remembered how difficult it was to control so much of it for himself, and for Haku as well.  He couldn’t risk being overtaken by Sujata Raka.

As he felt his body drawn into the light, he reached for the spirits of those who sang with him and drew them in as well…

 

Gumi held her phone steady, trying to record everything.  Which might have seemed pointless if the world was about to end… but if it didn’t, she’d be the one to have the exclusive on how it was saved, right!?

As white light surrounded Kaito, she knew something _big_ was going to happen.  Which she hoped would be soon because that big ugly blobby thing was getting closer and closer.  ‘Leave it to Blue to tick off something like that!’

But the light began to spread around him.  A beam shot around him, hitting Miku, then Luka, then Gakupo, then Rin, and finally Len.

And suddenly none of them were there anymore.  A massive pulsing ball of light shot into the sky, shining with a multitude of colors – blue, green, pink, purple, and yellow.  Finally it took shape into a massive white bird with a long feathered crest upon its head consisting of feathers colored with those same shades.  All that remained where they stood was a pile of metallic CV attachments.

“Sujata… Hama…”

Gumi turned to Avanna, who looked upward with tears in her eyes.  “Sujata Hama has come to save us again…”

Gumi ran across the ruined lab, trying to keep the bird in sight as it flapped it’s enormous wings.  It had to be seven stories tall, and it showed no signs of fear.

As it flew towards the gigantic rift and the entity within, the emerald-haired blogger watched as a streak of black shot towards Sujata Hama.  “Oh crap, it’s that black one!  Uh… Sujata Raka, right!”

Its horrible melody created a black laser from its beak, firing upon the white guardian with such strength Gumi was push back from the shockwave.  Sujata Hama took the blow, tumbling through the sky.  “Oh come on you guys!  You can do better than that!”

The white bird recovered, flying further skyward with Sujata Raka in hot pursuit.  As it did so Gumi became aware of a beautiful melody, filling her with a sensation of utmost tranquility and peace.  Finally it turned to face Sujata Raka, releasing several white balls of energy in its direction.  Sujata Raka found itself knocked back, plunging towards the ground.  As it seemed to recover Sujata Hama hovered in the sky watching it.

“It’s like… it doesn’t want to fight…” Gumi murmured.

 

It knew she was an innocent.  Driven to madness by those who tried to abuse the power of Noise.

It didn’t want to kill her.  It wanted to release her.

It turned its attention to the Noise itself and it could hear the voices crying out to it.

_You cannot end this!_

It didn’t hesitate as it flapped its wings towards the Noise entity.  The being tried to retreat into the rift, preventing it from being destroyed.

‘No!  If it does that… we’re going to lose our chance!’

When a black laser struck the Noise entity, the creature let out a cry like the sound of broken, screeching static.  Sujata Raka clutched at it with its claws, trying to keep it in place.

‘Meiko… you’re going to get hurt too if we destroy it now!’

Sujata Raka turned to face its counterpart, as if goading it to attack.  It was now… or never.

The melody rose within its throat, a purifying light forming into a massive ball.  With one flap of its wings, the multi-colored ball shot towards the Noise entity, engulfing it entirely.

 

Gumi tried to cover her ears to block out the horrible sounds reverberating around her, but she dared not lower her camera at the most important moment of her career!  She kept her eyes on the prize as light began to blast out of the entity, blowing holes throughout its massive form.

Soon it was engulfed entirely in that light, which began to shine from the rift.  Slowly Gumi became aware that the dissonance she’d been hearing was fading as the creature began to break apart, disintegrating as the pieces fell…

Finally a massive explosion filled the sky, blocking her view of the action… but when it was over, she saw nothing.  “Oh crap!  Mystery Squad, where did they go!?”

She saw no signs of any of the battlers… but the rift in the morning sky was closed.

“…what is the meaning of this!?  How did I get up here?”

Gumi slowly turned to see she and Seruva companions were no longer alone.  A confused squad of Mirror shock troops were returning to consciousness… and she immediately recognized four of the people that had just appeared in front of her.

Leon and Lola Heart… and Flower and Mayu.

“Blue… you did it… you really did it…” Gumi whispered.

She turned her phone off and motioned to the other Seruva.  “Hey!  You wanna know who was responsible for all this crap!?”

She pointed to the quartet of executives and their staff.  A large smile crossed her face as a look of horror appeared on the faces of the Hearts.  “These are the bums who started everything!  Don’t let em’ get away!”

Before a single weapon could be drawn, Avanna and Cul released a powerful force melody to separate the troops from their weaponry.  Another group of them quickly surrounded the unarmed civilians.  “Hang onto em’!” Gumi ordered, “I’ve gotta find Mystery Squad!  But those guys… they’re in a heap of trouble after all the dirt I got.”

“You can’t do this!” Lola protested.

Gumi clicked her tongue.  “That’s what you get for becoming a devious foe of TRUTH!”

 

The first words Miku heard as she returned to consciousness came from Len, who seemed to sum up the feelings of the rest of the group.

“…did we just turn into a giant bird and then back again?”

She opened her eyes to see the morning sunrise in a clear sky.  She sat up and slowly recognized her location.

Shirasagi Park.  The Vocaloid practice grounds.

The events she’d experienced still felt fuzzy around the edges.  She’d remembered being drawn into the power of Kaito’s ballad, then being one with the others.  Of commanding all the powers of creation.  Fighting the Noise and the Sujata Raka and…

She held her head as she still felt woozy.  Was _this_ what it felt like for Kaito when he saved her?

“AH!  Len, Len!”

Miku looked to Rin who was happily patting the back of her neck.  “Len, that stuff Flower installed!  It’s gone!”

Finally she saw Len, who placed a hand to the back of his neck and let out a cheer.  “All right!  We’re finally free!”

She searched the park until she finally saw Kaito, lying motionless a few feet from her.  Miku crawled across the ground to his side.  All the horrible attachments were gone, not leaving so much as a scratch on his body where they were once grafted to his skin.

He was still breathing… he must have just been exhausted.  Miku lightly touched his shoulder and gently rocked him.

Slowly his blue eyes opened again.  As he settled on Miku’s face, he gave her a broad smile.  “Miku… you’re okay…”

She laughed and ruffled his hair.  “That crazy plan of yours worked!” Miku said, “We beat the Noise!”

Kaito sat up, brushing himself off.  Free of the equipment, he looked the picture of health as he flapped his wings.  “S….Sempai!”

Miku and Kaito turned to face Rin, then looking at where she was pointing to see Luka.  She was standing stone still, tears running down her face.  “Luka…” Gakupo whispered, approaching her tenderly.

Upon Luka’s back were a pair of large white wings, shimmering in the morning sun as a few stray feathers tumbled around her body.

As everyone took a few moments to comprehend what had happened, Kaito finally broke the silence.  “Luka… try them out.  Just a short flight.  You won’t believe how wonderful it feels.”

She nodded her head, not speaking.  Her wings spread behind her, hesitantly at first – as if she’d almost forgotten how to use them. 

And then Luka lifted into the sky.  Her flight path started out unsteady as she circled over her friends, but she seemed to gain confidence as took a wider path around the park.  She began to laugh as she released the years of suffering bound to the earth flew behind her.  She finally alighted close to Gakupo, still crying but with a smile as radiant as the sun beneath her tears.

“Well!  I guess I won’t get to be your wings any longer!” Gakupo quipped.

She laughed and gave the Seruva warrior a large hug.  “I… I think I’ll need to build up my wing strength again…”

She tapped him on the cheek.  “Of course I don’t know if my bed is big enough for _two_ sets of Seruva wings…”

Gakupo’s voice grew lusty.  “There’s only _one_ way to test that…”

Miku coughed to remind them where they were.  Luka wiped the tears from her face, though clearly the sudden emotional rush affected her deeply.

“Meiko!”

She spun on her heel in fright when she heard Kaito say the name of the priestess.  Miku reached for her sword out of habit… but stopped when she watched Kaito running towards a familiar brunette woman lying on the ground.

Miku followed him as he knelt down at Meiko’s side.  She appeared pale, her breathing shallow.  “K…Kaito…” she said slowly.

“Meiko… I’ll heal you… don’t worry…”

For the first time, Miku saw the priestess give him a genuine smile.  “The dissonance… it’s gone… you did it…”

Miku could barely hear Kaito’s voice as he tried to sing the healing ballad for his fallen former foe.  After a few moments though, her condition didn’t improve.  “Meiko, why isn’t it working?” Kaito asked, his voice filling with fear.

Miku tried to think of the fight with Sujata Raka… she remembered sensing Kaito’s fear that attacking the entity with her holding it could harm her… she herself had become a being of Noise because of what the Elders had done to her…

“I’m so sorry…” Kaito said, clearly coming to the same conclusion.

Meiko raised her hand up to Kaito’s face.  “I’ve no regrets… for the first time in so long, my mind is finally free… my heart is at peace…”

She began to glow with a familiar light that Miku recognized always appeared when a Herald died in the past.  “Kaito… the last and strongest Spirit Caller of all… they’ll sing your praises for centuries…”

Kaito held Meiko’s hand tightly.  “I won’t let them forget you either…” he said.

“Yes… they should remember the Daughter of Noise that nearly doomed the world…”

“No!”

Kaito’s outburst startled the dying priestess.

“I… I’ll make sure they know what happened to you… and that you sacrificed yourself to stop the Noise forever… I’ll make sure nothing like this _ever_ happens again!”

As the light began to consume her, Meiko chuckled.  “If anyone can fix things… it’s you, Kaito.”

In seconds, Meiko’s body dissolved into nothingness, not even leaving a single feather in her wake.  Miku tried to come up with something to comfort Kaito when she twitched on hearing the familiar sound of a scooter.  And this time… a helicopter propeller?

She looked into the sky and saw a news chopper hovering above them.  A news van streaked through the streets.  Before any of the reporters could say anything to her… Gumi blew past them on her scooter and hopped off, spreading out her arms wide.

“Back off you clowns!  This story is ALL MINE!  I got the exclusive!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it.  The penultimate chapter, and everyone’s okay at the finale. Well I guess except for Meiko, Big Al, and Sweet Ann.
> 
> I always knew how this series would end, and I chose Miku’s song that she would write with that in mind.  I had a few candidates, but “Tell Your World” kept coming to mind since it’s a song about the ways that people connect even without meeting.  The theme of connecting was  _really_  important to the ending, so I stuck with it.  Another factor was that [most ](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWYWXcRg7y9w&ei=TCqPVd2jEMXToAS-m71Y&usg=AFQjCNFCavuOnZtWVMNc1PTTPo6Gn-J2ZQ&sig2=N_-J6bbIHiWXil7_ZHuBvA&bvm=bv.96783405,d.cGU)[Vocaloids](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9Ji1eQ5NEk) [have](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G838-zZoNkY) [covered ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjYM-GdPu5Q)it at some point!  Took me a while to find a good [Gakupo solo cover](http://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm18351424) that actually has him IN the video though :P  Poor Nasu-san!
> 
> The image for this chapter is another one by Syradhe, depicting her idea of Kaito as the Arbiter of Noise. I really loved it, so I've included that in the story too. Thanks Syradhe!


	20. The Great Harmony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The war is ended. Yet on the eve of Vocaloids' first grand concert, they must perform minus one. As Miku takes the stage without the person she loves, all of the Vocaloids recall the last year they spent and the vow they took…

Miku adjusted her ribbons in the show room mirror for what had to be the hundredth time that evening, smoothing the pleats in the skirt of her Vocaloids costume.  She tried to take a few breaths to calm herself.  'I mean it's not like I'll forget the words… or trip on stage… or get blinded by a stage light or…'

She slapped her cheek.

"POSITIVE!"

"Oh boy, Miku's doing the cheek slap.  Must mean she forgot to practice again."

Miku grumbled and turned to the ponytailed blonde boy leaning in her dressing room door frame.  "Do you _mind_?  I'm TRYING to make sure I have my opening number ready to go!"

She grabbed a brush and stroked her ponytails angrily for emphasis as Len laughed jovially.  "Yea, wouldn't want to ruin the star attraction right before her debut!"

He grew slightly more serious.  "Hey… it's not about _him_ is it?"

Miku's hand shook as she stopped brushing.  She fumbled for the words she needed to answer the question.

"… I'll take the long silence to mean 'yes.'"

Len never teased her about this subject.  He was sharp enough to know how much it affected her.

After all, performing the first "Vocaloids" concert as five instead of six was hard enough as it was…

 

_Miku laid on the futon in Kaito's arms, her bare body barely covered by the blanket.  How wonderful it felt to be in her own home again… though the bed situation was going to have to be improved.  Selling that loft bed and getting something bigger for Kaito's wingspan… did she even have enough space in her tiny bedroom for a bigger bed?_

_'Yea Miku… the BED is what you should be focusing on…'_

_She looked up into Kaito's face and took pleasure in his peaceful smile.  The people who hurt him were all gone forever.  The dissonant melodies that plagued him fallen silent.  No more fighting, no more running, no more fear.   She'd fulfilled her promise to protect him._

_She stroked his cheek lightly.  "I'm not going to disappear, Kaito…" she whispered to him._

_"There's only one way to know for sure."_

_He pulled her in for a deep kiss…_

"How's our little starlet?!"

As Miku left the dressing room, she laid eyes on Gumi.  "See guys?  I TOLD you I could introduce you to her!"

Standing behind the girl were a tall man with black hair and red-framed glasses as well as a green haired woman with tanned skin.  "So this is Miku… she's shorter than I thought she'd be in person…" the woman said.

As Miku looked at the two adults with Gumi, the obvious question rose in her mind.  "Are these your… parents?"

"Heck yea!  Mom and Pop already bought your album!" Gumi said, "Made me promise I'd pull some super-secret strings to get them in here!"

Of all the people to have seemingly normal, living parents… "Wait… Gumi, if your parents are fine, why were you living in a _bomb shelter_?"

Gumi let out a snort.  "Pfff, how do you think I was paying my food bills?"

Her father clapped his hands on her shoulders.  "My daughter has always been so driven to change the world, what father wouldn't support her?"

He let out a broad laugh.  "And she landed the biggest story of the _century_ didn't she?"

Her mother tenderly folded her hands under her chin.  "We always knew she'd make us proud!"

Gumi blushed deeply at all the praise… Miku wasn't used to seeing her _humble._   "So hey, about Blue… is he coming or what?"

Miku shook just a moment.  Of course _Gumi_ would be the only one blunt enough to ask a question like that without care…

 

_The peaceful sea breeze tossed the black ribbons in Miku's pigtails as she dug into her ice cream float, her white dress with black frills ruffling slightly.  It was so pleasant to enjoy a peaceful day with her friends and not dealing with more news media interviews.  Not that the publicity was **bad** per say – once they got wind of the heroes that saved the world being in a band, suddenly the girl found herself inundated with record companies seeking them out._

_"So Gumi managed to get **another** member of the Diet ousted on corruption charges.  Can you believe our folks paid off that many of em'?"_

_Len shook his head in disbelief.  He wore a white jacket, green shirt and red bow tie, and black shorts.  "They did always hang around with politicians, Len…" Rin chimed in, wearing a white dress with lace sleeves and a white ribbon in her hair._

_"They also had all kinds of blackmail if they didn't co-operate," Oliver added._

_The light-haired blonde was sandwiched between his two siblings, still clad in his former school boy uniform.  Miku wondered if the poor boy would have to wear bandages for the rest of his life, but at least his heart surgery had gone well.  This was the first day in the two weeks since that he'd been out with them._

_Luka rested her spoon on the table.  She wore a white ruffled shirt, flower printed tiered skirt, and a white headband.  Naturally once the chaos of the week of hell was over, she'd gone back to her elegant self, though Miku noticed she seemed a lot more relaxed with the ordeal behind them.  Perhaps because she no longer needed to try so hard to conceal herself from her friends._

_"At least they're somewhere where they won't hurt anyone else," Luka said darkly, "I'm about done with the lot of them."_

_She locked hands with Gakupo.  "How are the de-commissionings going, Oliver?" Gakupo asked._

_On most days Luka and Gakupo didn't even bother hiding their wings, but today they quietly concealed them to grant themselves some much-needed anonymity.  Gakupo in particular tended to get chased down by eager fans thanks to his viral fame.  Today he was unusually dressed down, just wearing a white t-shirt, black vest, and grey jeans with a black choker.  Miku guessed this was his idea of "incognito"._

_Kaito tended to keep his own wings concealed – he didn't like drawing any extra attention to himself if he wasn't flying.  Naturally, he'd felt awful that he'd lost his scarf and shirt due to the Hearts – his first pieces of human clothing were still quite close to his heart.  So at once Miku had rushed out to grab him another tank top and blue scarf as a replacement once the shops were open again.  And naturally… he was wearing that same ensemble today.  Ever predictable._

_"… by the end of the week the last of the operations will be done," Oliver said quietly, "I expect they'll all want to return to the Islands with the last group."_

_Miku looked to Kaito, and to her surprise, he hadn't even touched his ice cream.  "Kaito… are you okay?" she asked, trying to hide her shock at the sweets-loving man losing his appetite._

_His face appeared serious as he stood up in front of them.  "I… I've been thinking things over… and…"_

_"… I'm going to go back to the Islands with them."_

_Miku felt her heart stop.  Everyone else stared at him in surprise.  Of all the people to want to go back… Kaito seemed the least likely.  Hadn't he told Miku he'd never go if he couldn't take her?_

_"K… Kaito… the laws…" she stumbled._

_He wouldn't even face her… meaning he didn't plan for her to accompany him.  She tried to hold back tears._

_"Kaito… the Council is dead, the vigils are ended," Gakupo said, "There's no more duties for you to perform there.  Why do you wish to return?"_

_His hands trembled.  "Because… I haven't accomplished what I planned to do."_

_He looked into the skies.  "I destroyed the Noise, but… the humans and the Seruva are still separated.  They don't know **what** to do next.  And right now the Seruva really have no leadership at all."_

_"You're not planning on reviving the vigils!?" Luka asked with some alarm in her voice._

_Fortunately, Kaito shook his head in denial.  "Those are done as far as I'm concerned," he said, "The Seruva cannot move forward if they only listen to the words of the past.  But…"_

_Miku clutched her napkin in her hand so tightly it felt like a balled up rock.  "They also can't move forward alone.  I… I could help them do that.  I've lived among humans long enough to know many of their customs, and they still trust me."_

_"Right… because of the Great Harmony."_

_Luka spoke the words the Seruva had begun to call the miracle that destroyed the Noise utterly._

_"But… until I change their laws… their hearts… I… I can't…"_

_As Miku's vision blurred, she ran from the table.  She didn't want to hear anything else.  She didn't want to imagine a life without Kaito in it, but now he was choosing to do it himself!?_

_Did she truly mean that little to him after all!?_

"Let me just check the allowances one more time…"

"Luka, you don't have time to sew it anymore, you're going to have to just accept it for what it is."

Luka kept tugging at the sleeves of Gakupo's repaired jinbaori.  "I know, it's just… you have that big dancing number and I don't want you getting tangled up…"

The purple-haired Seruva laughed.  "I've practiced dozens of times today!  Truly, the humans beholding the concert are going to be in awe of a true samurai of the arts!"

Now it was her turn to start laughing – all of Gakupo's notes tingled with the excitement of his coming performance.  She adjusted her skirt and corset carefully.  While Gakupo had chosen to keep his costume the same, Luka's was too soaked with blood to allow her to wear it again.  So she simply decided to press forward with an all new design, a long black skirt slit up her thigh, black stockings and boots, metallic armlets, and a tan corset with an elaborate design on the left breast.  A simple collar with a small ribbon rested around her neck.

Gakupo had felt guilty about the ruining of her original costume, but after Luka happily showed off her new one, she was able to convince him to let the last lingering worries about "Harbinger" drift away.  Besides, he'd cheekily commented, he thought the new costume more properly showed off her "assets."

The costume hadn't stayed on long.

"Nasu-saaaaaan!"

For just a moment, Gakupo's excitement turned sour as he heard his least favorite nickname in the world.

"Oh wow, he's so impressive in person!  But I thought he had wings?"

Luka turned to see Gumi and her parents approaching.  Of course Gumi had given her a heads up that she'd be bringing them by.  Even Gumi couldn't have snuck past their rather… devoted… security.  But Luka was still struck by how normal they looked.  'It figures,' she thought to herself.

Luka heard Gakupo's concealment melody cease, his wings reappearing at once.  "Some of my dance steps are rather… difficult… with them out," he explained.

Before anyone could stop her, Gumi's mother was poking at his wings.  "Ohh!  They're so soft!  Like velvet!  You'd never guess it from the TV!"

'Poor Gakupo… the price of celebrity is so hard…'

The mighty samurai was blushing, but he didn't stop the curious woman from fondling his feathers.  The last year had trained him well in public relations.  Something the Vocaloids had been taking advantage of, naturally.  Even tonight's concert was the culmination of that… a year of peace and a lot of time spent trying to prevent the horrors of the past from ever taking place again.

 

_"You IDIOT!  You didn't tell her FIRST?!"_

_Luka had never seen Len so upset.  Miku had only just left the table moments ago… there was no way she hadn't heard him…_

_Kaito lowered his head.  "I… I just… I wanted to tell everyone at once."_

_Without another word, Len left the table in a huff, chasing behind Miku.  Oliver looked startled – not really knowing the Vocaloids that well, he chose to remain silent._

_In spite of the nervous notes in Kaito's voice, Luka detected a steady melody at the base of it.  He'd been so happy these past weeks, just practicing with his friends and enjoying the time with Miku.  None of them had even gone back to school – the fallout from the summer prevented them from getting classwork done.  Yet now he was giving it up._

_"Kaito-niisan, aren't you happy here?!" Rin said, tears in her eyes._

_"Of course I am…" Kaito said, "But… I can't let that stand in the way of others being free."_

_He looked out over the ocean, watching the tumbling waves but not truly looking at them.  "All of my descendants will carry the same power I have… any one of them could summon Sujata Raka… if that happens, millions could die… and the Noise will return."_

_"… you wish to stop the war from recurring."_

_Gakupo bluntly cut to the point. Yet Luka could hear softer notes in his melody – he may not have appreciated the suddenness of Kaito's proposal… but he understood his motivation._

_"Kaito, do you mean for the two of us to accompany you?" Luka asked.  Naturally, she didn't need to state who she meant._

_"Ah!  Gaku-niichan, Sempai, you're going to leave too!?"_

_Rin was about to burst into tears.  "I won't ask you two to come," Kaito said, "Only if you wish to.  I'll go alone if I must though."_

_Gakupo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.  "I doubt it would be wise for me to return," he mused, "The humans may not be aware of the Harbinger's actions, but I doubt there's been enough time for the Seruva to separate the two of us.  Even regardless of my intentions… many died because of them."_

_As Kaito's eyes fell to Luka, she found her choice surprisingly simple.  Even if she could easily return now with her wings intact…_

_"My life is on Earth now.  Besides, it might still be awkward for a former Val'Sharess to return, wings or not."_

_She left the other half unspoken – she would not leave Gakupo behind.  They'd already started planning a life together, quietly, out of the prying ears of the world.  If she went to the Islands… he'd follow her.  And she would not allow him to come to harm by choosing that path._

_Besides, she'd been quite clear – she identified more as a Japanese woman than as a Seruva now.  Even if she was now a Japanese woman with **wings**.  Regardless of how she'd come to live on Earth, she had plans for her life that didn't include a life in the sky again._

_If the prospect of undertaking his task alone bothered him, Kaito showed no such emotion.  He offered a small smile.  "I'll miss you.  All of you."_

_"Are you certain this is what you want?"_

_The blue-haired Seruva did not waver.  "I'm the Spirit Caller… with the Elders dead, with the priest caste asunder… I'm the closest thing they have to leadership.  I'm the only one that can take charge."_

_His melody grew melancholic.  "I can't… I can't let what happened to Meiko happen again."_

_Luka had tried to comfort herself since Meiko's death with the memories of the joys they once shared.  She'd accepted her actions had been the result of evil performed upon her… and she'd accepted that those who' d hurt her had properly been served justice because of it._

_But Kaito's sense of guilt was not alien to her.  Even now, Luka wondered if she should have tried harder on that fateful day to take Meiko too when she tried to escape the Islands with Kaito.  Maybe the tragedy could have been averted… maybe the war never would have returned… maybe the kind brave girl would still live…_

_'There's no time for maybe.  There's only now.'_

_Luka looked off down the wharf where Miku had run away to.  "She'll understand Kaito… but you shouldn't cut her out of your life so harshly.  She's your 'protector,' remember?"_

_She shot him a stern look.  "You owe her a **huge** apology for not telling her before you told the rest of us."_

"Hey, you're Gumi's parents, right?!"

Gakupo had never been happier to see Rin and Len.  "Oh, the Kagamines!" Gumi's father said, "Ah, Rin-chan is my favorite… she's so cute…"

Rin did a cute curtsy, luring the couple away as Gakupo turned his attention to Gumi.  He hadn't seen her in person in months… she was just as busy as any of them, but she wasn't a Vocaloid.  She didn't perform in concerts.  Her work was ensuring the massive corruption left behind in the wake of Mirror's fall lay exposed to all.

For how well she knew how to get under his skin, he'd grown a healthy respect for the girl.  Not a warrior by trade, but an unflinching advocate for the oppressed. After riding into battle with her, Gakupo saw her in many respects as a war comrade.

He approached her as she and Luka caught up, catching the end of their conversation. 

"… yea, Miku said she hadn't heard from Blue at all… it's kinda weird, though… I've been nosing around my sources in the government and they're supposed to be receiving a delegation from the Seruva… you think he'd tell her!  A concert this size should have gotten his attention!"

"Communication with the Islands isn't simple, Gumi," Gakupo said matter of factly, "It's not as if there's cell phone towers and internet access in a floating sky kingdom."

"Nasu-san!" she said as she lit up, "Sorry my folks bugged ya like that."

The Seruva warrior laughed.  "I'll take them over the tabloids any day."

But the mention of a Seruva delegation had lit his interest.  "What do you know of these events?  I've not heard of them in the media."

Gumi flashed a knowing grin.  "You know me… I can always find people in the right places…"

'Like Oliver,' Gakupo thought.  He searched the backstage area, but he hadn't spotted him yet.  No doubt his own guests were keeping him occupied.  A year of peace had granted him a great deal of responsibility, but also great freedom.

Gakupo could relate to the odd position he'd found himself in.  Being the world's most famous Seruva meant he had little time to himself.  At least Luka was always with him.  And of course he knew _why_ he'd allowed himself to become so public, along with the rest of the Vocaloids.

 

_"… the records of 'the Harbinger' have all been destroyed."_

_Oliver sat in what was once the chair of one of his parents, in what was once a home he shared with them.  If the irony of finally being free to return while they were now prisoners had hit him, he chose to keep it to himself._

_Gakupo stared out the window of the small study, observing the empty hills, as he listened to Oliver speaking to him._

_"Thank you."_

_For once, he was perfectly blunt._

_Cutting that part of himself out for good was necessary.  He'd never be able to rid himself of the memories, but at least on Earth he could rid himself of the consequences.  He had to.  Thanks to his public warning in the hours before the attack on Tsubasa City, he'd become the most well-known Seruva on the planet._

_He didn't know how they would react to knowing about his activities when he was a puppet of the Noise._

_"The squads that died in those operations were sent on classified missions, so their cause of death is officially unknown.  Obviously the Hearts, Mayu, and Flower still know about you… but they're not going to be taken seriously without evidence."_

_And now Oliver had ensured they would never have it._

_With a few simple corrections to history, Gakupo's past was clear.  He could start everything over again, learning how to live as a Seruva amongst humanity.  Somehow, that didn't bother him at all._

_He'd thought letting Kaito go might turn into a far more agonizing affair than what actually came of it.  After years spent making his safety his only priority, years of conflicting and painful emotions built day by day over him… the day Kaito left, he was calm and collected._

_To say he wasn't worried at all was a lie – of course every one of them worried about Kaito trying to go back to caring for himself after everything he'd been put through as the Spirit Caller.  But after the experience of the last summer, he'd noticed a change in his former charge.  He'd witnessed Kaito stand tall against those who'd once pulled his strings like a helpless puppet.  Further, the most dangerous people to him were now dead – three by the Harbinger's hand, one destroyed with the Noise._

_Ironically, the former bodyguard to the Spirit Caller had more confidence than any of the other Vocaloids in Kaito making what should have been impossible happen._

_And as Kaito lifted into the sky and Gakupo watched him until he vanished beyond the clouds, he'd felt something unexpected – relief._

_Besides… Kaito had sworn he'd return.  And they'd all privately agreed if he was gone too long, they'd simply go fetch him themselves._

_"What will you do now, Oliver?" Gakupo asked, "Besides being Rin-chan's **other** big brother."_

_He glanced back and saw a smile on the boy's face at the thought of his dear younger sister.  Oliver was already in the process of getting the two of them moved back into their old home – and Rin was especially eager since he'd allowed her to have a cat once they were settled._

_"I've been thinking a lot about what Kaito said… that he wanted to reunite humanity and the Seruva."_

_Oliver's face grew pensive.  "He has a difficult task – the Seruva did declare war on the humans, after all.  And there were so many humans scared of even the idea of the Seruva that we never had much trouble finding people to experiment on them at Mirror."_

_Where Gakupo could simply separate his actions as the Harbinger from himself, Oliver seemed unwilling to allow himself any amount of distance from the tasks his parents forced him to perform.  "But so much of the technology Mirror created… it could change lives.  It could change humanity entirely.  For the better.  Medical advancements, efficient energy production… someone has to make use of it."_

_"… I'm going to try and get control of Mirror's assets and use them for something better.  Officially, I'm still their son, so I have some pull.  Right now the government's in a bad state in trying to take control of the company due to all the corruption charges.  If I play things right… they'll be eager to offload it to someone like me and wash their hands of the affair."_

_'Taking something evil and turning it to good…'_

_Gakupo mused on the boy's statements.  In the middle of the chaos of battle he'd moved forward without a second thought on his actions leading to him becoming the Harbinger.  His entire focus had been simply ending the war with a minimum number of casualties, and rescuing his allies._

_Now he felt somewhat rudderless – a soldier without a war to fight.  But humans looked to him as a hero.  Perhaps he and Luka could serve Kaito's goal of stopping another war as well… just as Miku was doing right now…_

"MIKU!"  "MIKUUUUUUU!"  "MIKU-CHAAAAAN!"

All of a sudden a single spotlight shown along the darkened stage, illuminating the first act of the night. 

_"The number one princess in the world!"_

Miku spread her arms wide as her voice carried across the crowd.  The audience waved their sea green glowsticks in perfect synchronicity.

_"Know how to treat me that way, okay?"_

Len watched calmly as Miku pranced around on the stage, her swaying movements evoking a self-absorbed diva.  Any nerves she had before the show had vanished into her stage persona.

"Hee hee… Miku writing a song about being a princess," Rin giggled behind him, "Kaito-niisan better watch out if she starts talking to him like that when he finally comes back!"

_"First thing, notice when I have a different hair style from usual! Second thing, be sure to go as far as looking down at my shoes properly, do I make myself clear? Third thing, for every single world I say, reply with three words!"_

Len snickered at the thought of poor Kaito getting cowed by Miku.  Naturally he'd helped her out in getting this song put together, but after a year of their Vocaloids training kicking into high gear, she didn't need the help as much anymore.

Besides… he knew without her telling him that Vocaloids had turned into therapy of a sort for her.  As long as she kept working, she didn't need to think about being alone.

 

_Len found Miku leaning against a lamppost on the wharf.  He could hear her sobbing as he approached.  His anger at Kaito faded as he approached his broken friend and former crush, replaced by feelings of worry for her.  After everything the two of them had been through… why would anyone leave her like this?_

_Miku seemed to hear Len's footsteps and tried to wipe her eyes before he reached her.  "I'm… I'm sorry…" she started to say._

_"For what?  That was pretty low, the way he did that."_

_Her crying began to calm.  Uncharacteristically, Len stayed silent.  He had no idea what he needed to say right now._

_"I… I get it… he has his own home… he's always missed it, he never wanted to come here and be human… so of course he needs to go back and…"_

_"Oh stop that, whatever's going through his head, you know he's got to be broken up about leaving you behind, right?"_

_Was he **defending** Kaito?  No… worse.  He was starting to **understand** him.  "You've been together all summer.  He never said anything about leaving before, right?"_

_Miku shook her head.  "He… he promised he'd never leave if he couldn't take me with him…"_

_'… oh I get it now.'_

_"Sheesh, that's all?  Then he's probably figured out a way to make that happen."_

_Miku turned to Len, her eyes redder but filled with curiosity.  "If he's trying to change all the laws and stuff with the Seruva… then he's trying to fix it so he can take you there when he comes back."_

_"… he's going to come back…"_

_Miku said the words out loud and they appeared to grant her hope.  Seeing her cheering up made Len feel like his old cocky self.  "So we just gotta make sure he doesn't start slacking on Vocaloids when we're not around to make him practice!"_

_A small laugh escaped Miku's lips before fading again as she looked to someone behind Len.  Len turned around to see Kaito approaching the two of them.  As he pushed past the taller man, he whispered bluntly.  "You **owe** her, big time."_

_"SAMURAI!  Go kill yourself, scum!"_

Rin peeked out behind the curtains as the audience went wild over Gakupo's explosion of dance moves.  Over a month ago, the idea had apparently struck him like a lightning bolt – everyone in Japan thought of him as an honorary samurai, what if he were a _dancing_ samurai?!  Rin had been so tickled at the idea she'd already begun planning the song for him.

To aid his more acrobatic dance moves, Gakupo kept his wings hidden.  It didn't seem like any of his excited fans worried, all shaking eggplants as they cheered for him.  Gumi's nickname had gone viral along with his other images... and he'd just learned to embrace it.

_"Dancing in the night, no matter what the beat! If I can't keep the rhythm I'll cut myself open!"_

'Ah, Gaku-niichan… even when you're a singer, you're still a cool warrior!'

She straightened the bow on her costume.  Luka had prepared new outfits for her and Len to wear for "Gemini".  She said their "symmetry" inspired her – hence Len wore a grey suit with a black jacket and orange ascot, while Rin was now wearing a white dress, black jacket, and orange sash.  She love playing with the yellow fringe at the tips of her skirt.

The name of their song stirred some strange emotions in Rin – the only name the Hearts had for her and her brother was the same.  Yet they'd written the song themselves, without their parents ever knowing.  And that symmetry was the source of their unique powers.  So even if “Gemini” meant something to the Hearts, they'd claimed it for themselves.

Not that either twin cast magic much anymore.  Though once in awhile they'd try and fly for kicks, it was rather strenuous to maintain so they rarely flew far.

Something their parents had shown disappointment in the very last time she saw them.

 

_Rin gripped her brother's hand as they entered the waiting area in the courthouse.  This would be the first time they had seen the Hearts in three months.  Possibly their only chance they'd get to see the both of them at once – naturally, the husband and wife had been sent to different prisons._

_They'd deliberately waited as long as they could to meet with them for what each twin suspected would be the last time._

_"You have no inkling of what you've enabled, do you?"_

_Lola Heart glared at Rin and Len as she scolded the two of them.  Leon merely had his arms folded, refusing to stare at either of his adopted children._

_Oliver had refused to come at all – he wanted nothing more to do with his parents after his long ordeal.  He was too busy managing corporate affairs, he'd claimed.  But of course Oliver never let work get in the way of people he **wanted** to see – like his siblings._

_Yet the twins agreed to just one visit.  If only for closure._

_Rin had her hands folded behind her, not sure what to say.  She stared at her parents, perhaps hoping somehow they'd admit they ever cared about her.  Len didn't seem to expect that._

_"Yea, I know what we did," he said gruffly, "We cleaned up YOUR mess.  You almost blew up the world, you know that?  If that stupid gear you installed in us was still functioning, we wouldn't have been able to help save it."_

_Leon appeared offended at any suggestion that he'd committed wrong doing.  "How dare you speak of our efforts in that tone?!  The Seruva are a menace, and you've allowed them to fly freely in our city!"_

_He finally turned to face his children.  "You were supposed to save us… instead you two have simply doomed us all.  You may have delayed Armageddon, but one day they will grow tired of sharing the world with us.  When that happens… they can wipe us out in an instant."_

_"… that won't happen.  Ever."_

_Len stayed firm, even as Rin kept her silence.  "We won't let it.  And neither will our friends."_

_Lola huffed.  "Indeed, the mass murderer you two hang around wouldn't dream of skewering anymore of us."_

_Rin's grip on Len's hand tightened – she hated hearing them insult her dear Gaku-niichan when **they** had been one of the people who continued to provoke him while he suffered under the power of the Noise.  But still she found no words for them._

_"So what do the two of you intend to do with yourselves without us?" Leon asked, his voice cold and sharp, "You have no family.   You have no means for yourselves.  You're a pair of experiments without a purpose."_

_"Shut UP!"_

_Rin finally found her voice.  "We do TOO have a family!  I have… my awesome twin, my cool sempai, my best friend… four big brothers… and a big sister!"_

_The blonde girl had her hands balled into little fists as she finished her outburst._

_"We don't NEED you to do ANYTHING!  And we NEVER did!  And… And we're going to fix everything you did and soon this whole PLANET is going to be FULL of happy Seruva and humans!  And there's nothing you can do to stop us!"_

_Her statement concluded, she tugged Len's hand and the two walked away from the Hearts for what Rin expected would be the last time.  She felt her heart racing from her rare burst of anger, but she felt so liberated finally having the strength to tell them what she thought of them… and to deliver one last parting blow that their planned world of enslaved Seruva would never exist, and it was entirely their own doing._

_As the two left the courthouse, Len turned to his sister with one question._

_"Where did you get the extra brother and the big sister from?"_

_Suddenly his eyes widened.  "Wait, you're not counting THEM are you!?"_   
  


_"A 6300 km radius is as far as my hands can reach, I've realized that I can do it now, so please stand back!"_

Miku watched Luka twirled, unfurling her wings behind her like a peaceful, glimmering angel.  'Ahhh, sempai, all that practice and you're so perfect…'

She fluffed up her pansy dress for the next number after Luka would depart the stage.  She mentally ran through her choreography – all the hops, all the correct maneuvers she'd have to make to time her movements exactly with the LED holograms.

_"An 85 cm radius is as far as my hands can reach…"_

As the last words left Luka's lips, Miku let out a gasp as _someone_ did something off script.  Gakupo lightly descended onto the stage behind Luka as she stopped her twirling.  Yet the surprise of having an extra person on the stage with her couldn't possibly upset her.  She smiled warmly and held her hands up, Gakupo taking them and twirling her gently into his arms.                                                                                                                                                                      

_"When I someday grow tired of spinning, please stay by me!"_

Locking eyes with Gakupo, Luka sang her final lyrics to her partner so naturally it might as _well_ have been part of the act.  Miku watched Luka stroke Gakupo's cheek lightly as the audience seemed to collectively sigh all at once, seeing their easy romantic moment play out as part of the show.  The two of them took flight, departing the stage while still holding each other's hands.

Watching Luka flying away with the person she loved made Miku's heart ache for just a moment… before she walked across the darkened stage to her mark, facing away from the audience with her hands in the air.  When the spotlight turned on, she began shaking them lightly, causing her pansy bracelets to flutter.  She turned to them with an easy smile as the holograms on the stage crafted the illusion of LED lights forming patterns everywhere she stepped…

_“The dazzling strobe lights and the pounding LED’s take my hand and run off, I stumbled and my eyes opened…”_

Performing made everything else feel so easy…

_Miku clutched Kaito tightly as he soared through the Tokyo night skyline.  In the darkened sky, the multitude of lights and signs appeared almost magical.  He soared towards the famous Tokyo Tower, glittering in white light with the deep blue Diamond Veil lights sparkling like stars._

_Tokyo was an even larger city than Miku could have imagined.  Just one day seemed cruel when she'd have so many things to try and discover with Kaito!  But he eagerly flew her from place to place, occasionally riding the trains when he needed a break._

_At first it seemed Kaito's favorite location was Ueno Zoo – Miku gathered the wildlife in his homeland was drastically different from anything he'd seen or heard of.  Elephants, lions, pandas, koalas… Miku had never seen them up close, but Kaito didn't even know they existed at all.  They could have easily spent an entire day just there, but Kaito and Miku both had so much more of Tokyo to see and so precious little time..._

_Then they'd wandered the streets of the trendy Shibuya, Kaito being amazed that a dog had a statue all its own.  Miku kept admiring some of the fashionable dresses in the storefronts, surrounded by the youths dressed to the nines to show off their own personal senses of style.  She knew she couldn't go wild with shopping – how were they going to carry the clothes?  But Kaito insisted he could carry anything she bought.  And so she tried to be quick, so as not to drag Kaito down too long... what man would want to just watch her try on dresses all day?  But to her surprise, he insisted on trying a cosplay oriented shop.  As he stared longingly at a classic suit with a long black coat and pants and a fancy white shirt and blue vest, how could she deny him the chance?_

_Miku thought Kaito looked like a fairy tale prince when he walked out of the booth clad in such a flashy suit. Miku gleefully tried on a dress with a white top, yellow tie, elaborate purple skirt, and a white pointed hat.  She waved around her plastic wand, threatening to turn Kaito into a rabbit if he disobeyed the will of "Queen Snow Miku!"_

_…after that they'd broken down into uproarious laughter. And so Miku bought the costumes with a smile – she imagined they'd bring her far happier memories than a fashionable dress anyway._

_But Tokyo Tower finally caught Miku's eye as the two of them entered Zojoji Temple for evening prayers.  Miku had insisted Kaito experience the spiritual side of Japan along with the modernity, and Kaito sounded fascinated at the idea of partaking in a human religious ceremony.  The distinct red and white tower stood out against the traditional Buddhist holy ground.  Miku promised Kaito it would only get more exciting._

_And so not long after evening prayers ended… Kaito saw the lights in the tower begin to glow.  Once the Diamond Veil finally lit up as the two ate ice cream cones in Shiba Park, she nodded to him.  It was time to finally see it._

_Under the cover of night, the pair slipped onto the highest observation deck, Kaito quickly hiding his wings before their unusual entrance was noted.  He took a few steps back, staring at the beautiful sight in awe.  Of course Kotori Tower in Tsubasa had its modern charms, but this was the world-famous Tokyo Tower!  It had a wonder all its own._

_Finally Kaito turned to Miku, his glowing smile speaking for him.  "This was the best day of my life."_

_Miku tried to burn that smile into her memory forever.  "Mine too."_

_Kaito's happiness shifted to confusion – Miku guessed somehow the sadness in her thoughts had impeded her "melody."  There really was no hiding the truth from a Seruva._

_When Miku finally saw Kaito approach her at the wharf in Tsubasa City, she'd expected some kind of half-hearted apology… some statement of his duty, the importance of his sacrifice, excuses of why she couldn't go…. Instead he'd given her a simple invitation._

_"Let's fly away together.  Anywhere you want.  Just you and me, like we planned.  A desert, a castle, a mountain… Whatever you wish.”_

_And all she could think of was their wild imaginings of where they'd go when the war was over and how Kaito was prepared to fly her across continents if she so asked._

_She picked Tokyo.  She didn't want the poor man to tire_ that _easily.  And so as the sun rose the next morning, the day before Kaito was to fly away from her… He lifted Miku into his arms and ferried her across the countryside and into the famous city._

_Miku walked over to the railing and stared out into the red lights of Roppongi.  What might it have been like to take Kaito into one of the nightclubs, now that he needn't fear a Herald's machinations?  She watched the shifting colors of the Rainbow Bridge, thinking of how it would feel to stand atop it and watch the cars zip by.  The Daikanransha Ferris Wheel turned in the distance, an ever spinning flower of light, and Miku tried to imagine Kaito's first amusement park ride._

_As Kaito's hands rested on her shoulders, Miku looked up at him and forced a smile for him.  "You know, Kaito?  It was so nice… trying out all those new things together.  Discovering new things even I didn't know about…"_

_But his serious expression belied his detection of the truth.  She wished she hated him for wanting to leave but… she couldn't.  How could she?  He'd lost so much in the war, even if he tried to keep it quiet.  She knew he still mourned for Meiko, and he'd quietly blamed himself for not digging deeper into what had happened to her and somehow saving her from the terrible fate thrust upon her.  She couldn't forget his emotional promise to the priestess in her final moments to try and set everything right..._

_And that was why he waited so long to speak.  Because somehow, he felt afraid to admit he was giving away being with people he loved even if he knew what he could do would ensure their own safety._

_"I'm coming back.  No matter how long it takes."_

_He delicately pressed a hand against her cheek, caressing her face.  "I will **never** lose you again.  If… if I'm unsuccessful… then I'll accept it and just come back."_

_But Miku knew it wasn't just the Seruva that served as an obstacle.  She remembered how cruelly they'd been torn from each other that night by humans that feared him.  Kaito's dream was larger than one person should have to handle alone._

_And all day she'd thought things over and realized that Kaito didn't **have** to bear it alone, even if he would be far from his friends._

_"I have a new reason, Kaito."_

_Miku didn't wish to accept her fate as Juliet, devoured over losing Romeo._

_"For Vocaloids?"  Kaito cocked an eyebrow at her, questioning why the sudden swerve in topics._

_Miku brightened up, twirling a strand of her hair.  "Heh, I mean… I kinda need a new one, you know?  I ALREADY found the boy I was looking for… AND I saved the world!  But Vocaloids is about to make it big… all those music labels are sniffing around us now!  Who wouldn't want to sign a pop act with OUR crazy credentials?  Three Seruva, two people from both worlds… and one human!  It's the perfect mix!"_

_Yet she refused to be Cinderella, waiting for her prince to place a glass slipper upon her feet and carry her away._

_"So… while you're gone… my reason is to make humans accept the Seruva!  That's our new mission for Vocaloids!"_

_Kaito looked surprised.  "You think that'll work!?" he asked._

_Miku's face broadened into a genuine smile now.  "Of course it will!" She said, counting on her fingers, "I mean, Luka and Gakupo are already Seruva and Gakupo's like super famous already, Rin and Len are like… kinda Seruva?  And I'm the human that can explain all the stuff other humans won't get in like… human language!  So naturally, we'll warm the hearts of humanity with the power of SONG!"_

_His face softening, Miku guessed that her burst of positivity eased Kaito's worries about leaving her behind.  And now… she had something to do to bring him back sooner.  Because if humans were inviting to Seruva… that would make it even easier for Kaito to convince the Seruva that humanity could be trusted again._

_Under the sparkle of the Diamond Veil, Kaito kissed Miku and she swore she would do everything to ensure this would not be their last date._

Miku adjusted the little gold crown on her head, ensuring it was tightly pinned in place.  Her magenta dress and magenta wrap heels made her the image of a gothic princess.

She'd never wanted to have to perform this song alone… but since Kaito wouldn't be here to perform it with her… she didn't have a choice.  In her heart, she simply imagined it with him at her side and it would be the closest she could have to Kaito performing it too.

The fantasy gave her strength where once there was weakness.  This concert… all of it… was for a shared dream.

'Okay… time to bring it home.'

All the months of press tours, the television interviews, all for the same goal – stopping another war.

As the months stretched into a year, a surprising thing happened.  While much of the press attention had focused on Gakupo and Luka at first due to their status as Seruva, slowly Miku emerged as the star of Vocaloids.  Her passion for the project and her natural charisma as a performer began to shine through the tighter her focus became on her goal.

Slowly she'd begun to form a following across Japan… and the world.  More and more she'd become an idol that everyone wanted to see more of.  And the story of her lost romance only seemed to make her more enticing to the public.

Everyone could see how dearly she loved Kaito… and as they grew more comfortable with the idea of Seruva through Luka's elegant presence, Gakupo's determined adoption of samurai culture, and the enthusiasm of Rin and Len as they showed off their strange existence between human and Seruva… slowly it seemed more and more people wanted to understand and meet more of the winged people who'd descended to Earth.

She walked out onto the stage in the dark, waiting for her spotlight.  A hologram of a clocktower appeared behind her as rose petals fluttered across the stage.  And finally, the light focused on the beloved diva and she began her song.

_"Don't make my love like that of the tragic Juliet, take me out of here…"_

_"Then let us be off!"_

A familiar voice interrupted her as the instrumental began.  A second spotlight hurriedly found the source of that interruption and upon sighting it, Miku trembled from excitement.

It was Kaito.

He stood on the stage, his wings shining in the spotlight, wearing the costume she'd bought for him in Tokyo.  He held his hand out to her, perfectly timed to the choreography they'd so carefully planned.

Miku only had fifteen seconds before she needed to sing again.  She buried her emotions and grasped onto the next verse of their song, trying to stay on focus.  She was a professional!  Everyone in the audience shrieked with surprise, so now she needed to pretend it was part of the show!

" _Goodnight Mama and Papa, at the very least have sweet dreams… It's already time for adults to go to bed…"_  
  


_"It seems someone has been thrown again into the depths of this abyss… Tonight, how far should I go?"_

He'd made it… just in time.  The second he'd gotten out of all of his many exhausting meetings with the human ambassadors, Kaito had excused himself from his kin and rushed to change his clothes.  At first his guard protested at his intent to break away on his own, but Commander Lily intervened on his behalf.

_"Don't snap at me, treat me kindly_ _,_ _I still don't like bitter things_ _!"_

_"Taking pleasure at your expression as you nibble on the fruit; such loveliness…"_

Even given the gap in time since he'd seen her, how could he lose his sense of timing with her so easily?  Their voices sang against each other, a Juliet begging for mercy, a Romeo toying with her confused emotions in his hands…

The news of the Vocaloids concert was hard to miss, so monumental the event!  It was all over the news when he'd quietly arrived on earth with his delegation.  His heart leapt at seeing how far his friends had come in the year since he'd seen them!  And Miku right on a morning talk show, speaking of how much she looked forward to performing!

The only time she hesitated, even for a second… was when one of the people interviewing her asked about him.  If _he_ was going to come back to join their first concert.

… at that moment, Kaito knew he'd fly himself all the way from Tokyo to Tsubasa City without delay.  He had to.  Because he was a Vocaloid.

_"I've been longing just like Cinderella, I'll run away with nothing but my uniform! May the magic stop the time before the villains bother us!"_

Even as Miku sang a character with such a meek, fragile heart, Kaito could feel so much strength in her melody as he danced forward to embrace her.

" _The Runaway Juliet… but you don’t like that name, do you? True, you are linked together, but it won’t be as fun if it isn’t that way…"_

Just the sensation of touching her again made him feel so alive!  How he'd missed her and yearned for her at his side again!  So determined was Kaito to return to Miku the first chance he got, he'd actually packed his Vocaloids uniform _and_ his "prince" costume… and he'd rushed to change out of his ceremonial Seruva clothes as he made a last second decision to wear this one.

How fortunate – Miku's princess dress made her a natural match.

_"Now, why don’t we have some fun?”_

Reluctantly, Kaito released Miku as they danced apart – he was no longer the frightened man who couldn't release the woman he'd feared never seeing again.  Yet… it felt so wonderful to hold her again.  Even with the pair surrounded by thousands of screaming fans, all Kaito remained aware of was Miku.

_"Won't you softly peep inside my heart?"_ Miku sang to him, turning her head away in sadness yet her eyes focusing on him.

Naturally Romeo had no such pure intentions.  _"Would you mind if I grant all your desires for a lock of your hair?"_

Every day in his absence, Kaito had quelled his longings by putting on his uniform and practicing his Vocaloid songs and choreography on his own.  Rin had chided him between tears that she'd never forgive him if he stopped practicing.  And embracing his performances allowed him to recall the feelings of being with his dearest friends who shared in the Great Harmony with him. 

Occasionally he'd attracted some curious attention – the idea of the once quiet and self-conscious Spirit Caller suddenly embracing such an outgoing performance caused many of the priests to think he'd lost his mind during his time on Earth.

But his pure intentions for his friends… for his lover… shone through every cherished melody he sang.  What could have caused discontent instead became a symbol of hope.  The dark shrouds of the past that once encircled their tribe could be overcome if even the Spirit Caller could embrace the future so cheerfully.

_"It seems that the lying Cinderella was eaten by a wolf… What should I do? At this rate, I too will end up being eaten one day…"_

Juliet feared being ensnared in a terrifying tragedy, and Romeo, in the guise of the wolf, concluded the song by grasping his meek Juliet by the shoulders and pulling her close to his face.

_"I am now here to rescue you."_

As the final notes of the song serenaded the reunited couple, Kaito stared into Miku's quaking eyes, the only sign he saw of her true emotional state.

As the song ended, Kaito couldn't hold back another moment, not with his beloved so close to him after so long apart.  He drew Miku’s face close and kissed her.  Miku yanked him closer, diving into the kiss with the longing of a year's separation.

The entire auditorium erupted into thunderous applause.  Yet all too soon, Miku pulled out of the kiss and whispered gently in his ear.  "Kaito… we have one more song…"

He panicked – he'd been gone a year, what if he didn't know it?!

Miku winked at him.  "Don't worry, silly… you definitely know this one…"

A familiar piano melody played over the stage.  A series of spotlights appeared on the stage as the remaining Vocaloids stepped out.  Kaito looked to each colored light as his friends walked out… purple for Gakupo, pink for Luka, orange for Rin, and yellow for Len.  Miku's was last, a green light just barely large enough for Kaito to share with her for the song that he'd never forget.  The song that formed the Great Harmony.

The song that freed the world.

_“Not to forget the intangible feelings, I deleted the routine layout…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miku and Kaito's trip to Tokyo hit a lot of easily recognizable landmarks to anyone with even a passing familiarity with the city (i.e. you have ever watched an anime), and a few that are less obvious.  I had a little fun living vicariously through the story again, and Tokyo, being one of the largest cities in the world, is easy to fill a flashback with.  Tokyo Tower was obvious since I modeled the fictional broadcast tower in Tsubasa City after it.  The tower is lit up at night, and for about two hours an extra set of lights is also turned on, called the "Diamond Veil."  You can easily find plenty of pictures of the tower lit up including diagrams of the lights with and without the Diamond Veil on.  I also wanted Kaito to see a Shinto temple, and hence Zojoji Shrine showed up on the itinerary.  It's a popular spot with tourists since it's right next to the tower.  Shibuya is the trendy shopping district that shows up in a lot of anime as well – the "dog statue" Kaito was so amazed by is Hachiko, the famously loyal Akita.  If you played The World is Mine or watched Super GALS!, well, all of this is probably obvious since they're set in Shibuya.  On weekends and after school, students tend to really dress up and show off, including in Lolita or cosplay outfits, and naturally the district has tons of cosplay shops that cater to this.  I thought about Miku and Kaito getting real clothes… and then just used it as an excuse to have Classic Kaito and Snow Miku 2014 show up.  Roppongi is the nightclub district.  Both the Rainbow Bridge and the Daikanransha Ferris Wheel are part of Odaiba, an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, and yes, the Rainbow Bridge gets its name because it's lit up like a rainbow at night.  They're easily visible from Tokyo Tower after dark.  Shiba Park is also in the area of the Tower, though I have no idea if they have ice cream in the park (but leave it to Kaito to find ice cream anywhere they go ;) )  Ueno Zoo is in Taito, and is Japan's oldest zoo.  Having Kaito see Earth animals just seemed like a logical stop.
> 
> Obviously tons of modules appeared in the concert for the Cryptons.  Most of the time the characters are just wearing the outfits from either the PVs the songs originally appeared in or their Project Diva equivalents.  Luka was the exception because I wanted to show off her V4 costume.
> 
> The "Diet" that Len refers to is Japan's legislature.  Cue a billion food jokes.  It's also kind of notoriously corrupt (but what government isn't O_o) so the officials being bought off by the Hearts isn't that strange (apparently more than a few elected officials have been re-elected while still serving prison terms for corrupt dealings).  I figured when it came to light that Mirror had moved into experimenting on sentient creatures, it became much easier to actually prosecute them and make it stick though.
> 
> I kept looking for somewhere to insert a reference to Gumi's parents, but I couldn't resist the idea that easily the oddest person in the main cast had perfectly normal, alive, supportive parents.
> 
> **Song Credits:** Tons of repeats – I figured it wouldn't be fair to have built up so many songs early on without them appearing in some form.  So naturally "Weekender Girl," "Double Lariat," "Gemini," "Tell Your World," and "Romeo and Cinderella" all reappeared in some form.  Making first appearances were "[The World is Mine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O17f3lB7BFY)" and "[Dancing Samurai](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDnAeiKw-T8)".  I wasn't sure I'd ever get another story to make use of Gakupo's signature song, so of course I used it!  But the choice of "Romeo and Cinderella" in the story was originally made with this ending in mind – the 15 second instrumental after the opening lyrics would give Kaito time to drop in, sing to Miku, and let her react to him before they started singing together.  I kind of worked backwards from that to get the song into the story earlier and assign it narrative significance.  But it worked because both the original and Another versions are about a doomed romance and come on, I never let off Kaito and Miku ;)


	21. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Kaito triumphantly returns to Miku's side... all she can think of is, will this be permanent? Is he going to leave again? What does the future hold?

The Vocaloids had gathered backstage in the green room, the entire room vibrating with the energy of their first successful performance and their surprise happy reunion.  Rin had her arms clamped around Kaito's waist in a happy hug.  "AHHHH!  Kaito-niisan, you should have told us you were coming!  You were so cool though, surprising Miku like it was part of the show and everything!"

Miku had so many things she needed to say, wanted to say… but she held back.  After all, this was a reunion for _all_ of them.  She dared hope that Kaito's appearance tonight meant he was staying for good…

Kaito happily patted the top of Rin’s head.  “I apologize for how sudden it was… I didn't have any way to contact you though… and until all the meetings concluded, the Japanese officials didn't approve of us making our presence known either.  Things were so delicate… nobody outside of a small circle of officials even knew I was here.”

Miku wondered why Luka and Gakupo were giving each other such knowing looks on that sentence.

"Gotta say Kaito, never expected you to try and one-up Gakupo like that!" Len laughed, "Did he teach you how to be a giant ham too!?"

"Eh?  What do you mean?" Kaito said in surprise.

Luka tossed a sly glance at her partner.  " _Someone_ thought my performance needed a little extra touch…"

"Hmph, they clearly appreciated it… I don't think I did anything wrong by catering to our fans…"

Clearly the samurai had no shame for his attention grabbing behavior.  He began to wrap his arms around Luka, who leaned into him.  "Ah… what am I to do with you?  Truly, a spotlight calls my warrior far more loudly than a battlefield!"

'Sempai, you really landed a smooth talker…' Miku thought to herself as the couple seemed to once more lose track of everyone around them.

“Rin-chaaaaaaaan!  Len-kuuuuuuuun!”  “We’re coming, dearies!”

Kaito’s entire body went rigid as a familiar pair of voices rang out, accompanied by two sets of thundering footsteps.  "AH!  Kaito, I totally forgot to tell you but…"

Miku didn't even get to finish her explanation before the door practically flew off of its hinges and Kaito jumped away from Rin out of reflex.  Tromping through the doorway was Big Al and Sweet Ann, both looking angry enough to start a fight.  Miku heard Kaito sing a few defensive notes before Rin and Len rushed between them.

“Al-niichan, Ann-neesan!  It’s okay, this is Kaito-niisan!  I told you all about him, remember?  He came to join us in the show!”

The duo looked momentarily surprised… then embarrassed.  “Oh, so YOU’RE Kaito!” Big Al said, laughing jovially as he approached Kaito and clapped one of his large hands on the startled Seruva’s shoulder, “No WONDER Oliver was telling not to worry about you!  But truly, you gave us such a start hopping onto the stage like that and approaching Miss Miku!”

Ann laughed as she gave Rin a soft hug.  “We can’t be too careful around our little sister and brother, right?  So many dangerous people in the world!”

“Yea… but you two still need to stop glaring at every poor dope that comes within ten feet of us!” Len scolded, “Scale it back a little!  We’re not kids you know!”

As Big Al left the still shaking Kaito and returned to his partner, Miku saw her opportunity arise.  She sidled over next to Kaito, whispering in his ear.

“Oliver managed to turn up all their parts after Meiko tore them up… he finally managed to revive the two of them a few months ago…”

Rin and Len were happily entertaining “Big Sweet” with stories about the concert.  “They didn’t even recognize me…” Kaito said quietly.

“Oliver told us they came online again without any recollections of the past…” Gakupo responded, “The only one they recognized was him.”

As the other four Vocaloids watched the Kagamines and Big Sweet talking and laughing and having fun, Gakupo added “It’s probably for the best.  They can finally start over without reliving the entire trauma that set them to such violent madness in the first place.”

“They’ve also been keeping us safe at the shows… not that we’re really in much danger, but you know, nobody’s going to sneak back here if they run into those two, right?”

Miku laughed as she remembered a group of otaku being run off during a practice session.  Kaito finally seemed calmer, though given his much more personal traumas with the duo, she couldn’t blame him for still being aloof from them.  Oliver finally ran into the green room, exhausted and out of breath.  At once Sweet Ann broke away to tend to him.  “Oh, Ollie, you shouldn’t exert yourself so much!”

“I… I told you… Kaito was just fine…” the boy gasped out.

Miku guessed that _yet again_ Big Sweet had forgotten the vast gap in physical prowess between themselves and everyone around them – no doubt Oliver had tried to explain Kaito to them in vain when their protective instincts kicked in.  'Heh… they're almost as dangerous taking care of us as when they were trying to kill us…'

Now with that crisis averted… “So… Kaito… if you brought a delegation back with you…” Miku prodded.

Kaito appeared nervous for a moment – even if Miku couldn’t read melodies into voices, his facial expressions tended to be far more illustrative than he realized.  “I… it’s nothing permanent yet.  I can’t say too much, given the delicacy of certain matters with the human governments… we haven’t even spoken to anyone outside of Japan yet.  Just getting the Seruva to understand how large the human world really is took a great deal of effort given how few of us there are…”

He was rambling.  She hoped that didn’t bode ill… his words had grown so much more formal with the year spent among his own kind again.  Now he sounded much as he did when Miku had first met him, compared to how casually he spoke at the time he left.

“Kaito, have they at least started to shift at all?” Luka cut in, “The fact they came _should_ be a good sign given their previous attitudes.”

With how strange Kaito was acting Miku feared he’d backed down somehow… had something gone wrong?  Had he appeared simply to say… goodbye?!

“Ah!  Gakupo, how have you been doing anyway?  It’s been so long since you’ve been home!”

Gakupo looked as surprised as Luka and Miku at Kaito’s sudden swerve in discussion – so surprised he didn’t seem to know how to answer at first.  “I… well, matters are certainly calmer on Earth than they were just a year ago…”

He glanced over to Luka.  “Ah… I guess if you’re planning to stay… well… you’ll be treated to the visage of a traditional Shinto wedding…”

Kaito let out a gasp at the word “wedding.”  “You two… you’re going to…”

Luka softly touched a hand to her rosy cheek.  “Back in school everyone always spoke of being a June bride so… we still have quite some time… and I suppose there will be quite a few alterations given that neither of us are really Japanese let alone _human_ but…”

“A ceremony in honor of the samurai of the past shall be truly worthy of us!” Gakupo spoke with great pride, “We have already arranged a most magnificent shrine to announce our nuptials before the gods!”

Kaito seemed awfully unnerved at all this wedding talk... though Miku supposed _anyone_ would get unnerved at someone _that_ excited about his own wedding.  “But surely, Kaito, there is _no_ news you can share from the Islands?  Are these matters still veiled in such secrecy?”

As the topic of conversation shifted, Kaito seemed a little more at ease.  “The entire priest caste was reorganized… with the deaths of the Elders _and_ the High Priestess so suddenly… we chose to form another government entirely.  They kept wanting me to talk to the Ancestors for guidance, but I insisted we needed to move forward.”

“That must have been quite hard for them…” Luka said with pity in her voice, “We spent so much of our lives being told how to live them… suddenly having nothing to rely on could have caused a riot.”

Kaito nodded his head.  “After the chaos of the war… those of us left were at least willing to try some new ideas.  We formed a governing council, where all of us stand equal and anyone from any caste may stand for election to it.  I’m standing as their leader for now, but my voice no longer overrules every other member of our tribe.”

‘So Kaito brought democracy to the Seruva?’ Miku thought to herself, ‘I guess that’s better than however the Elders came to power then… if it stops awful people like that from doing anything, it HAS to be!’

He looked to Luka sternly.  “There is no longer a class of _Val’Sharess_.  That was the first thing I convinced them to have abolished!  From now on… winged or not, we are always Seruva and we shall _always_ have shelter amongst the land of our birth.”

Luka pressed a hand to her heart softly.  Kaito turned to face Gakupo.  “Nobody wishes to try you for… well, anything that happened.  Whoever you were working with, they dispersed in the chaos and none have come forward to place you within your ranks.  The people now seem to believe you’d simply been taken by the Noise as so many others were.  You are free to safely return if you wish.”

If Gakupo still carried any lasting guilt in his heart over the events that led him to Earth, Kaito’s words seemed to finally ease it.  He smiled with calm relief.  “I do not deserve such forgiveness… but I shall accept it.  Someday… I suppose my children will know the land of their ancestors.”

Kaito smiled at him.  “You can choose to stay wherever you wish!” he explained, “I just wanted to make sure you had a _choice_.”

‘… he’s talking about choices again… maybe…’

“Well that’s well and good for me and Gakupo,” Luka interjected on Miku’s behalf, “But what about the rest of us?  How are they handling the potential of reconciling with humanity?”

Again Kaito grew nervous, and again so did Miku.  Why couldn’t he be _direct_ about this?!  He balled his hand in one of the deep pockets of his coat.  “They… well, it was _not_ simple given what happened here.  Many of the Seruva turned into CVs are still quite resentful of humans.  They had no real recollections of any humans being kind after all – to them, they’d only known being kidnapped and tortured.”

Kaito almost seemed to be refusing to look at Miku and now she really wished she _could_ hear music in his voice to try and decipher his bizarre mood.  “But I wasn’t the sole voice to speak on humanity’s behalf!  We took… months of testimony!  The Seruva that Miku rescued all spoke up for her bravery and compassion towards them!”

He turned to Luka and Gakupo.  “And the soldiers!  They all testified to how grateful and kind their human charges were to them!  And Commander Lily herself spoke of how important Gumi’s contributions were to the rescue of so many of our people!”

From the odd looks on Luka and Gakupo’s faces, Miku began to suspect that Kaito’s “melody” wasn’t any easier for them to discern intent from than Miku’s attempts to just translate his voice.  “And… and I pointed out that it was merely eight united voices and souls that formed the Great Harmony to release us from the terror of the Noise forever… while fear of humans left us susceptible to the very Noise that nearly broke us.”

Kaito’s hand fidgeted in his pocket again.  “It took months of discussions before we even made an overture to the Japanese embassy to discuss certain matters.  I… I still can’t talk about those yet.  We’re still going to be attending meetings and discussions for weeks…”

… so he hadn’t failed… but he hadn’t really succeeded either… Miku tried to content herself with that but… it felt so empty…

“Kaito… you’ve made so much progress… you should be proud of even these achievements…” Luka said in a comforting tone.

Miku tried to maintain positivity outwardly.  “Right… you’ve been… you’ve been working really hard… I’m sure it won’t be much longer…” she started to say.

Kaito’s face turned red.  “I… well… I mean… that’s not… all… but…”

Luka made a strange face before she gave Gakupo’s arm a tug.  “I… I think Big Al needs some help over there… isn’t that _your_ song he’s trying to learn?”

Miku turned to see Big Al trying to mimic Gakupo’s dance moves, not really noticing how much more space he was taking up with his longer limbs and taller form… let alone how much the stage was starting to shake from his dancing. 

“SAMURAI!  HARAKIRI YOURSELF!” he shouted.

Gakupo placed a weary hand to his forehead.  “I suppose this is a form of instruction only a _true_ dancing samurai can undertake…”

Together the couple wandered away, leaving Kaito and Miku alone.  Kaito’s face still appeared red, as if there was something he was struggling to voice.  _"Dancing with your pace always! You've got to give it your BEST or you'd be a WORTHLESS_ _SAMURAI! HYA!"_

Gakupo waved him down. "Hey now!  Let us dance together!"

Big Al flashed his sudden new mentor a huge smile.  "Of course!  How can I not?!"

“Kaito… If you want to go somewhere quieter, the dressing room should be clear.”

He carefully nodded his head as Miku led him out of the green room.  As they left, she just barely hear Gakupo giving his "pupil" instructions.  "You should relax your shoulders!  You might get hurt!"

All the way Miku tried to stay her emotions.  “I noticed the humans seem so much more at ease with us now…” Kaito said, making small talk.

“All of us tried to make that happen… It wasn't easy at first.  Though with the Hearts in jail and everything they did laid out there by Gumi… It wasn't too hard to make a case for the Seruva being provoked to war…”

“That's good to hear… One of the sticking points in our negotiations was how to redress the crimes against all of us who were kidnapped and experimented on.”

Miku pressed her hands together.  “I’ve done so much to smooth everything over with humanity in the last year…”

Kaito lit up.  “I saw you on TV this morning!  You were all over the talk shows!  Ah, if I hadn’t had all those meetings, I could have watched you longer…”

In spite of her nerves, Miku found herself snickering.  All of a sudden Kaito’s formality had crumbled and he’d started to revert to the persona he’d had when he left.

The couple entered the dressing room.  Miku touched the knob to close the door, but stopped as Kaito approached the mirror.  His vibrancy faded yet again.  “… seeing you again, hearing your voice… having you so close and yet so far from me… it was maddening.”

He touched the mirror with one hand, staring into his reflection.  “I missed everyone… I wanted to be with the Vocaloids again… but… I _dreamed_ of you.  I tried to keep you alive in my heart, reminding myself that this was only meant to be temporary but… everything began to drag out so long...”

Miku finally couldn't hold back any longer.  “… are you staying this time?  Please, Kaito… you have to answer me.  When you have so much trouble being honest, I keep getting scared this is just another goodbye…”

Kaito’s face tensed up as Miku’s fears increased.  He released a deep breath and faced Miku, his face serious and stern.  “… I haven’t gotten the Seruva to approve reconciliation with humanity yet.  This trip was intended to encourage that process – if more and more of the world’s governments recognized us, treated us as sovereign and welcome, it would ease their fears.”

Miku tried to hold back her tears.  She’d tried so hard to ease human fears, to make things easier for a race devastated by two brutal wars, but of course it would not be so swift.  “I… I see… you just came for the concert…”

Another broken vow.  “And now you need to leave…”

“No!”

Kaito’s outburst shocked Miku out of her melancholic reverie.  He clutched one of his hands in his pockets… and his cheeks again turned bright red. 

Was he being _shy_?

“They’re not ready to accept all of humanity yet.  But… Miku, you’re a hero to them.   You helped all of us without a second thought.  And… and you even wrote the ballad that defeated the Noise!  The priests have already begun to sing it in services!”

"Eh?!  They're singing my song?!"

Miku couldn't believe what she was hearing.  She'd just written that song for fun… and now the Seruva were performing it with religious fervor.  She'd been immortalized without ever meaning it.

So… what was Kaito so nervous about?

“I… well… they’re not ready to accept a human, by herself.  But… they… well… if you were…”

He seemed to be having trouble speaking again and Miku just wanted him to spit out the words already.

“… they would accept this one human, who performed in the Great Harmony, if they were bound to a Seruva, as a test of and symbol of peace.”

“Bound to… you?!  Like… marry you?!”

Now it was Miku’s turn to blush as suddenly all of Kaito’s nerves and odd behaviors became clearer.  At once Miku realized she'd _completely_ misread Kaito's emotional state.  He started babbling as she appeared utterly shocked.

“I… I understand if this is sudden!  Ah, I mean… we weren’t together more than a few months… and its okay if you’re not ready for something as big as marriage and… and…”

Happy tears ran down Miku’s face.  “Kaito… of course I’ll marry you… I don’t ever want to be apart from you again!”

Miku’s words finally seemed to calm Kaito’s tensions.  He finally pulled his hand out of his pocket to reveal a short blue beaded necklace with a large, flat white stone charm attached to a small white feather.  “I don’t know what the traditional rituals are for humans, but… this is how a Seruva proposes to their partner.”

Kaito gestured to a small runic carving on the charm.  “The beads are normally purchased from a jeweler, but the person who proposes has to collect the stone for the charm themselves and carve a word in the old tongues to represent their partner.  The holy Alabaster Mountain is where most of them come from.  That’s where I got mine… about two months ago…”

Lightly Miku ran her fingers along the indents – Kaito had made this _himself_.  For _her_.  “The name was… well, kind of easy for you.  _Avari._   ‘Protector.’”

Miku didn’t stop him as he moved to clasp the necklace around her throat.  As he did so, he spoke again in that indecipherable language of the Seruva, though this time she recognized the word _'Avari'_ – his name for her.  As he finished, Kaito removed his hands and Miku lightly touched her engagement gift as he translated the ancient marriage oath.  “With my hands I grant you my heart, Protector, and with this gift I bind our spirits with my love.”

Her entire body tingled with excitement as she leapt forward and hugged Kaito with all her strength.  He returned it a thousand fold.  She felt guilty for doubting him, but now she never needed to fear losing him again.  She pulled her head up close to Kaito’s… to her fiance’s… and began to move to kiss him…

… when a familiar ‘clicking’ sound of a camera phone interrupted her.

“…GUMI!?  How did YOU get back here?!”

Gumi stuffed her phone in her pocket and grinned broadly.  “Ah ha ha, I’ve already got my next big scoop ready to go!”

 

As Luka huddled over her sewing machine, she kept a close eye on the outside porch.  She could still hear her family close, so her wild twin toddlers hadn't tried to fly off again.  Not that Gakupo would ever let them get far.

The hum of the machine gave her a constant joy.  Of course she could just _commission_ costumes when she starting touring again… but where was the fun in that?  She'd spent so many years teaching herself costuming, why give it up when the entire world could see her creations?

But today she merely sewed a small yukata.  Tomoe had barely stood still long enough to be measured – the reddish-violet haired girl had clearly inherited her father's impatience.  Yet in spite of her energy, she still seemed to have some love of "cute" things from time to time – such as the red flowers on the fabric Luka showed her.

This was to be her twins' first summer festival on Earth.  The tabloids had gotten a little _too_ aggressive after their birth – Luka had caused something of a sensation when she announced her pregnancy so soon after the wedding.  The first known Seruva child to be born on earth… and then twins?  She and Gakupo barely had a moment's peace over the three years since.

'I guess I'm not as Japanese as I thought after all…' she smiled.

… though given that Gakupo had purchased the rundown Midori Street shrine he'd once haunted as the "4th District Shinigami" and restored it to glory to raise their small family in... well…

Luka and Gakupo had fully embraced their new home country.  Gakupo in particular had drawn some attention when he'd applied for Japanese citizenship for himself.  In spite of quite clearly bearing no samurai heritage, his enthusiasm for their legacy had led many to call him one anyway.  The two ended up spending her maternity leave in the Islands just to get some shelter, returning only in her final month to ensure she still had the twins within the comforts of a modern medical facility.

"Ah, Tomoe, not so rough with Musashi!  You know he doesn't like that!"

She snickered at the sound of her husband's stern voice.  If Tomoe had Gakupo's wild energy, Musashi was more reserved.  The pink-haired boy often watched his father's hobby calligraphy painting for hours or hung around Luka's sewing room while she worked.  She looked to the simple black yukata she'd made for him already.  Hopefully he wouldn't be frightened of the fireworks…

The first trip back to the Islands had been difficult at first.  It was both her home and the source of much pain.  But seeing the familiar landmarks again, being accepted as one of her own kind again… she'd been able to finally make peace with the crime committed against her.  If Gakupo had worried about being ostracized or attacked, those worries faded quickly.  He was considered a hero, the same as any of the other Vocaloids that formed the Great Harmony.

Even so, the two of them paid a visit to the graves of the deceased Elders and High Priestess.  Luka simply prayed for Meiko's spirit, hoping she knew she'd been forgiven for the crimes she'd been led to commit.  Gakupo never revealed what he'd said in his prayers, but he didn't need to.  Whatever it was let him assuage the guilt in his heart over his role in their deaths. 

Then he never spoke of the Harbinger again.

"Gaku-niichan!"

Luka set down her sewing and walked outside at the sound of the familiar voice.  "Len, Rin, what brings you two here?" Gakupo called out with a broad smile on his face.

Rin gave a huge energetic wave.  "Like we need a reason to drop by?" Len said with a smirk, "'Sides, Al and Ann might have wrecked the living room trying to practice a dance routine again… so… figured we'd come hang around the less DESTRUCTIVE people we know while Oliver gets it cleaned up."

If Rin and Len had worried about stunted aging as Oliver still suffered from, they needn't have.  By the time the two of them had finally reached adulthood as they were now, the Kagamines had grown into striking young adults.  Rin in particular had grown her hair out over the years, reaching her waist, though she'd yet to stop wearing her beloved bow.  Len had finally had his long awaited growth spurt, though Luka had noticed the last time he'd seen Kaito he'd appeared annoyed that the blue-haired man was still taller.

"Auntie Rin!  Uncle Len!"

Musashi leapt into Rin's waiting arms.  "Tomoe was picking on me again!"

Len groaned.  "Aw, again?  Come on, Tomoe, you gotta treat your twin better than that!  They're your better half!"

Gakupo sat on the porch wearing a black haori and hakama over a purple kimono.  "Listen to Len!  He speaks from experience!"

"Hey, sempai!"

Even in her mid-twenties now, Luka's former schoolmates still called her that.  Not that she minded – she took some pride in knowing their old bond still stood so strong.

"Yes, Len?"

"You hear from Miku and Kaito yet?"

Luka shook her head.  "I suspect she'll be writing to us once the summer pageants have ended…"

She pressed a hand to her cheek imagining her old friend experiencing her first Seruva festival.  "But I'm sure if anything serious was going to happen to the baby, we'd have heard by now.  Kaito swore they'd come back to an Earth hospital for the birth if anything was going to happen…"

The Seruva had been slowly integrating modern technology into the Islands, but the process was slow going.  They had no infrastructure, and much of it was still utterly foreign to them.  But as the last six months had finally seen the introduction of human settlements on the Islands, the first since before the wars… they were starting to adapt.  Many fought to be the first allowed into the "unspoiled natural paradise" the Islands represented.

"Papa, if Auntie Rin is here, you two gotta do the thing!"

Gakupo laughed at his daughter's insistent demand.  "Okay, but this time I want you to sing too!  Here, you can sing with me, and Musashi can sing with Rin-chan."

Luka watched her family and Rin singing the now familiar ballad she'd be privileged to hear in the spring festivals again…

_"We believed we could go anywhere. Will the day come when a cooped bird in a cage flutters its wings? If I can stay by your side when you shed tears, I dare to stay here with you…"_

Miku leaned into Kaito’s soft embrace as she sat and stared across the endless wave of green that was the Verdant Plains.  Just as Kaito had described it… like a green sheet of soft fabric rustling in the wind.

“You know what Kaito?  I think this is turning into my favorite place in the Islands too…”

It wasn’t uncommon these days for Miku and Kaito to retreat to the Islands between tours.  The constant attention of the press could become trying no matter how important it was for them to maintain a positive public image.  So far, they were the only recorded Seruva/Human couple in history, and naturally that made the two of them an obsession no matter where they went.

Miku snuggled up closer to her husband… as close as she could comfortably get anyway.  The conspicuous bump under her maternity robe made things a little tricky.

The only other event that could possibly increase the public’s fascination with the pair was the revelation that Miku was taking an extended leave from performing due her pregnancy.  While Luka had caused a stir with her own pregnancy, the idea of a Seruva and human child opened so many possibilities.  Given how long it had taken for Miku to even become pregnant, speculation had abounded that perhaps the two races were too genetically separated for her to conceive a child with Kaito.  Yet they'd barely been wed three years when they finally received the blessed news…

“Do you think the baby will have wings too?”

Miku tried to envision chasing after a flying toddler.  Having watched Gakupo trying to fly down his own children when mischief struck them, Miku realized she was at a disadvantage without wings of her own.

“We won't know until they're born…” Kaito mused, “Seruva wings grow after birth… It could be as long as two weeks before we know for sure.”

He tenderly placed a hand on her stomach.  Due to the remoteness of the Islands, they'd agreed to have the birth among the Seruva.  Besides, there were certain rituals performed for a Seruva birth.  Since Miku didn't really have family on Earth, she felt less pull towards traditions there, and she knew how important it would be politically to show her willingness to accept the new world she'd joined.  Naturally Gumi had attended with her camera crew – she'd never lost her "underground" status, but now she streamed a regular news program on the internet.  And how could she miss having "the exclusive on the biggest wedding ever?!"

Though Miku was pretty sure the reporter was upset the wedding didn't somehow involve a climactic fight scene.  Instead, the Seruva wedding ceremony was surprisingly solemn.  Kaito explained that the nature of their small society meant such commitments were not taken lightly.  She donned a wedding robe that had been passed through his mother's family, and Kaito wore one provided by the priests for male Spirit Callers to symbolize the importance of the ceremony to the tribe.  Even if that position meant less now, what Kaito had accomplished as one meant nobody would ever stop revering his bloodline.

But what she truly remembered was the Harmonized chorus of voices singing ballads of good will and fortune.  Hundreds of voices at once.  Kaito later told her such a feat wouldn't have been possible in the past – the Seruva lived far too detached before the reforms began.  Such a powerful Harmony proved their slow but steady growth into the future.

A future she had fought and won to ensure every step of the way.

She ran the tips of her fingers along her necklace, taking comfort in the grooves of the rune Kaito had carved into it. 

She'd fulfilled her promise to him.

And he'd done the same for her.

 

"Heh… if the baby is a boy… we should name it Mikuo," Miku joked.

Kaito chuckled.  "I think 'Hatsune Mikuo' has seen enough use already…'

He'd given some thought to names.  The baby wasn't old enough yet to determine gender, though careful echo ballads when Miku was far enough along would eventually reveal that.

"What about a girl?  Kaiko?"

She started laughing again.  "Ah… but seriously… I guess we should be giving some thought to it…"

Kaito had some ideas of his own for a boy.  Spirit Callers in the past, his family members… and aside from Miku's jokes, he knew she had some good Japanese names in mind as well.

His duties as a Spirit Caller had become far less drastic, though he still engaged in semi-regular rituals to observe the health of the world beyond and occasionally to seek advice from his ancestors.  By now Seruva society had successfully broken from being ruled by the dead, but that didn't mean they had _nothing_ to offer.

Their child would carry on a potent power and responsibility.  But in this new time of peace and reconciliation… he knew he would guide that child with confidence.

But every time he left beyond, there was always one spirit he sought out.  She always wanted to know about Kaito's new family, the health of the tribe… and all about how he was doing personally.  How he was doing implementing his goals.  Whether his impossible dreams were bearing fruit.

There was never any doubt about what he would name a daughter, should he have one.

"Meiko."

Miku looked to him in surprise, but her face softened.  She understood.  She lightly gave him a peck on the cheek.  "I like that one too…"

As they grasped each other's hands, Miku shot him a coy smile.  "Think she'll want to be a Vocaloid?"

 

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap.  Aw you guys knew I couldn't leave things such a downer with Big Sweet!  Yes, even THEY got their happy ending.
> 
> This chapter basically existed because trying to properly wrap up every single character's storyline got incredibly hard.  I was faced with cutting out significant portions of material, or just making two chapters.  The latter ended up being what I did to keep everything I wanted.
> 
> I feel a LITTLE guilty that Gakupo didn't get a final POV scene, but I feel like Chapter 20's POVs wrapped up his ongoing arc, and what still remained could be bundled into Luka's final POV.  Naming Vocaloid children was not easy – I did a quick peek to see if anyone had ever thought of it, but children of ships is actually pretty rare (save for KaiMei being Miku's parents in some settings O_O).  Ultimately I settled for their fraternal twins being visually based on Gakuko and Luki as kids, then giving them different names.  Tomoe is named for Gozen Tomoe, a late twelth-century female samurai of some fame who is featured in the epic poem _The Tale of the Heike_.  Musashi is named for Miyamoto Musashi, a famous swordmaster and ronin who was undefeated in 60 duels and later authored _The Book of the Five Rings_ , a book of strategy, tactics, and philosophy that is studied to this day.  He shows up in popular culture rather frequently, and tons of samurai characters are named for him.  Gakupo clearly went full native as he even engages in calligraphy painting, which samurai were encouraged to do as a spiritual activity.
> 
> The Shinto wedding Gakupo and Luka talked about is actually rather uncommon in modern day Japan, largely due to its expense – they're incredibly elaborate!  But naturally… this would be the type of wedding a samurai would have engaged in, so of course Gakupo is eager to get on with it.  The end of the ceremony involves a symbolic offering to the kami.  If you're wondering about why Luka isn't wearing an engagement ring, apparently it's not a tradition in Japan at all!  Wedding rings in general are a Western tradition and most people don't practice it at all, or if they do, they exchange rings at the ceremony but never wear the rings in public.
> 
> I had a lot of trouble coming up with a Seruva oath for Kaito to use when proposing to Miku.  I ultimately based it on an Irish oath given with a Claddagh ring (a distinctly Irish engagement/wedding ring), which goes "With these hands, I give you my heart, and crown it with my love."  Except the Claddagh ring actually depicts hands holding a heart with a crown on top, while my made-up marriage necklace has no such thing ;)
> 
> And so at last, I bid a fond farewell to another story.  A lot of trauma came out of releasing it, but I'm happy to set these folks to their well-earned happy endings.  As for what's next?  Nothing yet.  I'll get a longer update on my profile for various sites, but unlike the march from SAWG to Broken Wings, I don't have another story ready to go.  I have a lot of documented ideas and I'd like to take some time to turn them into real plots first.  However, I do have a lot of material set before the events of Broken Wings that I'd like to write up as a few short stories – in particular, one set in the Islands detailing Gakupo's rather complicated life after he came to serve Kaito and Meiko's slow turn from friend to foe, and one detailing how the Vocaloids came to form back at the Academy, with more focus on Luka and the Kagamines and why they joined.
> 
> But most importantly, I want to thank everyone that stuck with this story for the last six months.  I appreciate everyone's support and kindness, whether you ever left a review or a comment or even just quietly read it.  I hope the long narrative was worth your time, and I'm happy to have been made so many friends while putting it together.
> 
>  **Song Credits** : Just one… "[Dancing Samurai – branch ~HAM-HANDED TRAVELER~](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiJ4IdDBeuk)", the Big Al version!  Seriously, if you have NEVER listened to this, go do it.  Now.  It's awesome.  But if I ever thought while working on this series that Big Al and Sweet Ann would sing more songs than any of the Big 8, I would have planned ahead better so I wasn't constantly scrambling.  Even poor Gakupo only got to sing two of his own songs.  Some of the dialog between Big Al and Gakupo in that scene is actually taken from the Gakupo and Big Al spoken parts of the song as well though.


End file.
